Charlie Heaton is officially stepping into the Shelby family business.
The Stranger Thingsstar has been revealed as the adult version of Charles Shelby, the eldest son of Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby, in the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series.
Netflix and the BBC unveiled the first-look image of Heaton in character on Friday, May 22, finally solving the mystery surrounding his role after his casting was announced last month. And judging by the photo, Heaton looks right at home in the gritty world of the Shelbys.
The new series takes place a decade after World War II and follows Charles after years away from the notorious family empire. According to the official character description, Charles fought in a violent war before attempting to leave the Shelby lifestyle behind and embrace a quieter life. But the story teases a familiar question for the crime dynasty: “Can you ever escape your own blood?”
The series will also see Jamie Bell take over the role of Duke, Charles’ half-brother, previously played by Barry Keoghan in The Immortal Man — the new Peaky Blinders film which came out in March.
The casting marks another major Netflix role for Heaton after five seasons playing Jonathan Byers on Stranger Things. New additions to the Peaky Blinders universe also include Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch and newcomer Lucy Karczewski.
Production on the series is currently underway in Birmingham.
2026-05-22 19:58:00
