The Peaky Blinders universe expands with the arrival of a new, enigmatic character in the film sequel, The Immortal Man. Played by Rebecca Ferguson, Kaulo enters Tommy Shelby’s life as a powerful spiritual figure from his Romani past. Her introduction brings back a part of Tommy’s heritage that the original series only touched on, while also connecting directly to his son, Duke Shelby, and the future of the Peaky Blinders gang.
The film, which arrived in select theaters on March 6, 2026, before its Netflix release on March 20, 2026, brings Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) out of a self-imposed exile during World War II. The story, set in Birmingham in 1940, forces him to confront both his legacy and the son he left behind.
Kaulo Is Not Just A New Character, She Is Tommy Shelby’s Past Returning
The most important detail to understand about Kaulo is that she is not just a random new addition to the story. She is the twin sister of Zelda, the Romani woman who had a son with Tommy Shelby before he went to fight in World War I. That son is Erasmus “Duke” Shelby, now played by Barry Keoghan, who took over as the leader of the Peaky Blinders after Tommy left.
When Zelda died, Duke grew up within the Romani community, far from the Shelby family empire that Tommy was building in Birmingham. This explains how Esme Shelby was able to find Duke and bring him to Tommy in the sixth season of the show—she was part of that same Romani world that Tommy had stepped away from.
Kaulo’s name comes from the Romani word “kalo,” which means “black,” and she speaks with a Romani accent that connects her directly to the nomadic people from whom the Shelby family is descended. In the film, she serves as a bridge between Tommy’s past and present, between the Romani traditions he left behind and the criminal empire he built.
What Kaulo Does In The Immortal Man
Rebecca Ferguson’s character is described in official Netflix materials as a mysterious medium with spiritual powers. In the film, Kaulo tracks down Tommy Shelby, who has isolated himself from the world, living alone in a large house haunted by the ghosts of people who died because of him.
Kaulo’s mission is to bring Tommy back to Birmingham to help his son, Duke. Ferguson explained that her character “came in to kind of persuade Cillian’s character to break into the world again from isolation, and to take control and to help guide his son.”
In the trailer, Kaulo directly confronts Tommy with the truth of his choices, telling him: “You abandoned your kingdom. And you abandoned your son.” She also warns him that he lives “in a house haunted with ghosts of people who died because of you.”
But Kaulo’s intentions are not entirely straightforward. Later in the film, she speaks with Duke and encourages him to claim Tommy’s position by killing his father, presenting it as a way to give Tommy peace. Tommy eventually figures out Kaulo’s game, but the damage is done.
How Kaulo Connects To Polly Gray And Grace Burgess
Fans of the original Peaky Blinders series will notice that Kaulo seems to carry pieces of two important female characters from the show. Rebecca Ferguson herself acknowledged this connection, noting that Tommy Shelby says a line in the film comparing her to Polly Gray.
Cillian Murphy, who plays Tommy, echoed this, saying, “I think they would’ve gotten on well. They were very much in the same tradition.”
Like Polly, who was the powerful, supernaturally-inclined Shelby family matriarch, Kaulo has a commanding presence and a deep spiritual understanding. She also serves as a strong female counterpoint to Tommy, something that was missing after both Polly’s death and the murder of Tommy’s wife, Grace.
If Kaulo and Tommy become romantically involved, she would also fill the role left by Grace, becoming his most intriguing love interest since Grace’s death in season 3. The mystery that surrounds Kaulo mirrors the undercover work Grace did when she first entered Tommy’s life.
What Happens To Kaulo In The End
By the end of The Immortal Man, Duke chooses to stand with his father against the Nazi sympathizer John Beckett (Tim Roth), but Duke also loses Tommy. The film ends with Duke taking over as the new head of the Shelby clan, with Kaulo by his side.
This positions Kaulo to potentially play a matriarchal role in the franchise going forward, similar to the role Polly Gray played with Tommy. Ferguson has said that Tommy even compares Kaulo to his late aunt Polly in the film.
When asked whether she might return for the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series, which is already in production and set in 1953, Ferguson said: “I never say no.” But she also noted: “I think that Kaulo was so essential for this film, but I don’t always feel that a character needs to have a continuation; we can be satisfied with not being satisfied.”
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The Importance Of Romani Representation In The Story
Kaulo’s introduction is significant because it brings the Romani heritage of the Shelby family into the spotlight. Throughout the original series, the show hinted at Tommy’s Romani roots through rituals, omens, and stories of curses passed down through generations, but rarely explored this fully.
Kaulo belongs completely to that world. Her presence reminds viewers that Tommy Shelby always lived divided between two worlds—the modern, industrial universe of Birmingham where money and violence structured power, and the Romani traditions of his ancestors.
Duke, who grew up within Romani communities, carries an identity that Tommy, in many ways, abandoned. By introducing Kaulo, the film brings back this forgotten part of Shelby history and makes it impossible to ignore that Tommy’s story has always existed outside the control he tries to exert over his world.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now streaming on Netflix after its theatrical release earlier this month. The film has received strong reviews, holding a 93 percent Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Following the film, an untitled sequel series is in production for Netflix, set to take place in 1953 and ordered for two seasons, with both Steven Knight and Cillian Murphy serving as executive producers.
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Craving more Birmingham gangster action? Check out our breakdown of every new character in the Peaky Blinders universe and where the Shelby family goes from here.
