Arthur isn’t physically in the Peaky Blinders movie because the story is set after his death in the timeline, and Paul Anderson didn’t return to shoot new scenes, so Arthur only exists off‑screen and in brief, indirect ways.

On-screen story reason

  • The movie Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is set in the early 1940s, after the events of season 6.
  • It confirms that Arthur Shelby died a few years earlier (around 1938), so by the time the film’s main plot happens, he’s already gone.
  • Tommy talks about Arthur in the film and carries guilt over what happened, so Arthur is present more as part of Tommy’s conscience than as an active character.

Behind-the-scenes reason

  • Paul Anderson (Arthur) does not appear on set for new footage in the movie; any glimpses are handled with stand‑ins or references rather than proper scenes.
  • In interviews, Anderson has said he knew Arthur’s fate would be big and “powerful,” and he’s actually a fan of the way Arthur’s story ends, even though he’s not in the film itself.
  • He’s also implied that once the film was moving ahead in this direction, he chose to “leave them to it,” suggesting the creative decision about Arthur’s fate came first, and his absence in filming followed from that.

Why fans are talking about it

  • Arthur is one of the most popular characters, and he was expected to be central to any Peaky Blinders movie, so his absence feels jarring for a lot of viewers.
  • Some fans think killing him off before the movie and keeping him off‑screen wastes a huge character and feels like weak or rushed writing.
  • Others argue that giving Arthur a heavy, off‑screen fate and letting him haunt Tommy fits the show’s tragic, war‑scarred tone, even if it’s frustrating not to see him one last time.

What Paul Anderson has hinted

  • Anderson has called Arthur’s “end” something you don’t usually see on TV and said he thinks it’s a bold move.
  • He’s also a “firm believer in leaving people wanting more,” hinting that not returning might help keep Arthur’s legend intact rather than dragging him out.
  • For future spin‑offs or sequel series, he’s suggested that if Arthur is dead, his memory could still be present even if he doesn’t come back in person.

Quick TL;DR

  • In-universe: Arthur is dead before the movie’s events, so he can’t appear in the main story.
  • Production-wise: Paul Anderson didn’t film new scenes; Arthur is handled through dialogue, guilt, and stand‑ins instead of a proper role.
  • Fan reaction is split between feeling cheated out of seeing him again and respecting the darker, gutsy choice for his fate.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.