Peaky Blinders fans were excited when Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) made a triumphant return in season five of the popular gangster series. Now, Steven Knight has released a brand new story focusing on his background, revealing how the character fared in the war as well as a bit about his parents. As a result, many fans were left wondering if this could be fodder for a potential prequel series for Tom Hardy’s gangster – here’s what Knight revealed about the possibility.
Will Alfie Solomons have his own prequel series?
A new audio story has been released by Steven Knight on peakyblinders.tv, focusing on the backstory of Camden gangster Alfie Solomons.
Entitled The Gospel of Alfie Solomons: Part One, the short nine-minute poem is narrated by Tom Hardy in character.
The story explores how the criminal leader become a notorious gangster in London, with a particular focus on his family background.
This includes the reveal he had an absent father whom he only knows through the hat he has inherited from him.
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The short clip also reveals a little bit about his childhood when he was bullied for being Jewish.
Alongside this, the story focuses more on Alfie’s role in World War One, mentioning how he once killed 36 men in action.
After this, he goes on to found his bread factory, which fans of the series know is the front for his criminal enterprise in London.
Knight’s ballad is all about exploring the morality of the character and whether or not he is ultimately a bad man.
READ MORE: Peaky Blinders: How did Alfie Solomons become a gangster?
The short tale is also full of information about the character’s past, which has led some to wonder if it could be used for a potential prequel or spin-off based on him.
Viewers have only caught a glimpse of Alfie throughout his appearances on BBC historical epic but whenever he appears he is usually a hit among fans.
This was certainly the case in season five when it was revealed that Alfie was still alive, having survived Tommy’s (Cillian Murphy) gunshot.
Although, the focus not being on his character is a deliberate choice by Knight, who has previously spoken about how Peaky Blinders is a series focused on the Shelby family.
READ MORE: Peaky Blinders: Why did Grace Shelby leave the series?
He told Express.co.uk and other media at the launch of season five: “I just want it to be a family between the wars.
“It starts at the end of the first and ends at the beginning of the second because it’s not a well-trodden path.”
However, while he plans to leave the series at the end of season seven, the creator has been open about the possibility of spin-offs.
He added: “I think it’s a unit that will end when it ends.
“But I’m not against the idea of spinning off stuff and going through the Second World War. There’s no reason why not.”
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He also revealed that he would not be opposed to exploring stories beyond just the Shelby family.
When pressed on whether he could see the potential for an Alfie origins story, he added: “I don’t know. There’s all sorts of possibilities.
“There’s a lot of interest in keeping this world going and I’m happy to keep it going.”
Whether or not Tom Hardy could return again if this were to happen has not been floated but given he is still involved in the series, fans will hopefully see more of him in season six.
In the meantime, the future of the show is being explored with a new ballet adaptation and there is constant talk of a potential film.
Speaking about this earlier in October, Knight told Entertainment Weekly: “I’m ruling nothing out, and a film is certainly a strong possibility.”
Peaky Blinders season 5 is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.