The final season of Peaky Blinders took a dark turn when Michael Gray set out to kill his cousin Tommy Shelby. But according to actor Finn Cole, that was never the original plan. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cole opened up about learning that his character would become the show’s ultimate antagonist and how the death of Helen McCrory forced creator Steven Knight to reshape the ending .
Cole admitted he was “gutted” when he realized Michael would be the villain of season six. The actor had grown to love the Shelby family dynamic and knew that putting Michael against Tommy meant his time on the show would end with a bullet . Michael’s story concluded exactly that way, with Tommy shooting him dead, ending the cousin rivalry for good.
The Original Plan That Never Happened
Steven Knight had mapped out the entire final season long before cameras started rolling. Cole revealed that Knight would share detailed episode breakdowns during their meetings, and the vision was always spectacular. But between those conversations and actual production, everything shifted .
“I don’t think [Steven] planned for the cousins to go to war,” Cole told The Hollywood Reporter . The change became necessary after Helen McCrory, who played Michael’s mother Polly Gray, passed away in April 2021. Her loss created a massive hole in the story that Knight had to work around .
The pandemic also played a role in reshaping the narrative. Cole recalled talking with Cillian Murphy right as the world shut down, and Murphy had just read complete scripts for the final season. When production finally resumed, those scripts looked very different .
How Polly’s Absence Changed Everything
Polly Gray was meant to have a significant presence in season six. As Michael’s mother and Tommy’s trusted advisor, her relationships with both characters would have driven much of the drama. Without McCrory, Knight had to find a new emotional core for the final episodes .
The solution came through making Michael the primary threat. With Polly gone, Michael had no one to temper his rage or guide his decisions. His resentment toward Tommy, which had been building since season five, exploded into full-blown revenge after Polly’s death was written into the story .
Cole explained that the idea of the next generation challenging Tommy had always been present in the show. Cillian Murphy had pointed this out to him back in season four or five, noting that younger family members with fresh ideas pose the greatest danger to someone like Tommy Shelby .
Michael’s Faultless Plan That Tommy Rejected
Cole pointed to a key scene in season five that foreshadowed Michael’s turn. Michael presented Tommy with what Cole described as a “faultless” business proposal that would have allowed Tommy to step back while Michael took over operations .
“There was no reason why Tommy should turn it apart from the fact that he’s threatened by the next generation’s bigger and better moves,” Cole said . That rejection planted the seed for everything that followed. Michael never forgot that Tommy dismissed his ideas, not because they were bad, but because they threatened his control.
When production delays and McCrory’s passing forced rewrites, that underlying tension became the foundation for season six. Knight amplified the Michael versus Tommy conflict, turning what might have been a subplot into the main event .
Embracing the Villain Role
Despite his initial disappointment, Cole found unexpected joy in playing the antagonist. He admitted that fans now approach him with mixed feelings, saying they love him but hate his character. For Cole, that response represents the highest compliment an actor can receive .
“Once I embraced it, I had a lot of fun, and we were able to really take it to the next level,” he shared . The role allowed him to explore darker territory and push Michael to places he hadn’t gone before. He even expressed interest in playing more villains in the future.
Cole also acknowledged that the character’s fate made narrative sense. Michael had to lose. His ambition outpaced his ability, and his hatred for Tommy blinded him to the risks of moving against the Peaky Blinders leader.
No Return for Michael in The Immortal Man
Fans hoping for a ghostly appearance or flashback in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film should temper their expectations. Cole confirmed he knows nothing about the movie and doesn’t expect to appear .
“I’d love to say that the ghost of Michael comes back, but no, I don’t know anything about the movie,” he said . The actor plans to watch The Immortal Man as a fan, just like everyone else.
Cole isn’t the only original cast member sitting out the film. Kate Phillips, who played Linda Shelby, recently revealed that contract discussions fell through and she won’t be returning either .
The Film That Continues Tommy’s Story
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has finished shooting and is currently in post-production. Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby, with an impressive new cast joining him including Stephen Graham, Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, and Tim Roth .
Murphy recently explained why he agreed to make the film despite feeling that season six provided a satisfying ending. He told Deadline that the movie needed to “justify its existence” and match the quality of the series finale . Steven Knight also wanted the larger budget to properly depict the Birmingham Blitz during World War II, drawing from his mother’s childhood memories of the bombing .
The film releases in cinemas on March 6 and arrives on Netflix on March 20 .
Beyond the Film: Two More Seasons
The Peaky Blinders universe continues expanding after the movie. The BBC and Netflix have confirmed two additional seasons set in 1953, following a new generation of Shelbys as Birmingham rebuilds after World War II .
Creator Steven Knight described the upcoming seasons as telling the story of “a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz.” The new episodes will film at Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham .
Cillian Murphy will serve as executive producer on both seasons, though it remains unclear if he will appear on screen. The 1953 setting places the story roughly 20 years after season six, making Tommy’s involvement uncertain .
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, called the show “game-changing” and promised that Knight has “worked his magic once again” on the scripts.
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What Michael’s Story Meant for the Show
Looking back, Michael Gray’s transformation from loyal lieutenant to bitter enemy gave season six its central conflict. Without that storyline, the final episodes might have lacked the personal stakes that made the show compelling.
Cole’s performance earned him the kind of reaction actors dream about. Fans cared enough about Michael to hate what he became, and that investment speaks to how well the character worked, even in a role the actor never expected to play.
The changes forced by McCrory’s passing and the pandemic ultimately led to a different but equally powerful conclusion. Steven Knight adapted, found new opportunities in the material, and delivered a final season that honored what came before while charting a new path forward.
For Cole, the experience left him grateful, even if it meant saying goodbye to a character and a show he loved. The threats and hate messages from fans only confirm that he did his job right.
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