Arthur is not in the Peaky Blinders movie because the film appears to have set up his character as already dead before the main story begins, with the plot treating his absence as part of Tommy’s emotional burden. Public reporting also shows that Paul Anderson confirmed he did not return for the film and later spoke about Arthur’s fate in a way that matches that setup.

What that means

The movie, The Immortal Man , is set in 1940, after the series timeline, so the story has room to explain missing characters through time jumps rather than bringing everyone back onscreen. In coverage of the film, Arthur’s absence was one of the most noticeable cast omissions, even though several other series regulars did return.

Why fans noticed

Arthur Shelby was one of the show’s core characters, so leaving him out changes the emotional shape of the story. Reporting around the film says the script uses Arthur more as a memory and source of guilt for Tommy than as a living character in the present-day plot.

In plain terms

  • Paul Anderson did not reprise the role for the film.
  • The movie’s story is set after the series and explains Arthur’s absence as a past event.
  • Coverage suggests Arthur’s role in the film is mostly indirect, through Tommy’s memories and guilt.

TL;DR

Arthur isn’t in the movie because the film treats him as already gone before the main events, and Paul Anderson did not return to play him.