Published Feb 19, 2026, 2:59 PM EST
After joining Screen Rant in January 2025, Guy became a Senior Features Writer in March of the same year, and now specializes in features about classic TV shows. With several years' experience writing for and editing TV, film and music publications, his areas of expertise include a wide range of genres, from comedies, animated series, and crime dramas, to Westerns and political thrillers.
Peaky Blinders is back, but with a big difference this time around, as The Immortal Man takes to the big screen in a franchise first. There are also some new faces joining the likes of Tommy, Arthur and Ada Shelby, with Dune star Rebecca Ferguson foremost among them.
Ferguson’s Peaky Blinders role remains somewhat shrouded in mystery even after the release of The Immortal Man’s trailer, but then that’s kind of the point. Her character is a Romani soothsayer of some kind, who appears to have intimate knowledge of Tommy Shelby’s past, as well as ties to his son, Duke Shelby.
Another factor in Rebecca Ferguson’s introduction to the story is that her character will serve as a strong female counterpoint to Cillian Murphy’s protagonist. She seems to combine two roles in one, effectively replacing the characters Grace Burgess and Polly Gray whose deaths were among the most heartbreaking in Peaky Blinders history.
Rebecca Ferguson Plays Kaulo In Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Out of the new characters entering the Peaky Blinders universe The Immortal Man, Rebecca Ferguson’s Kaulo is the most enigmatic. We see her in the movie’s trailer scolding Tommy Shelby for abandoning his “kingdom”, before raising the specter of his estranged son, Duke.
Kaulo speaks in what sounds like a Romani accent, suggesting that she belongs to the nomadic people from whom the Shelby family is descended. This choice of accent from Ferguson is also consistent with the origin of her character’s name, which comes from the Romani word “kalo”, meaning “black”.
What’s more, Kaulo has special spiritual powers, which may be the reason why she seems to know so much about Tommy’s life. It isn’t clear from the trailer whether Tommy was previously familiar with her, or he’s meeting her for the first time.
Kaulo Is A Mysterious Psychic & Potential Tommy Shelby Love Interest
Rebecca Ferguson’s character in The Immortal Man has been described in official press releases as a “mysterious medium”. Indeed, beyond this description, her name, and her brief appearance in the movie’s trailer, we still don’t know much about her. It’s possible that her Romani background means she has ties to the Shelby family that go back generations.
On the other hand, Kaulo might be the film’s main Tommy Shelby love interest, whose mysticism simply adds to her appeal as a romantic partner. Either way, there are clear parallels to be drawn between this character and the most important female figures of the original Peaky Blinders series.
Ferguson's Peaky Blinders Role Replaces Polly & Grace From The TV Series
Arguably the two most tragic moments of Peaky Blinders are the murder of Tommy Shelby’s wife, Grace, and the sudden death of Polly Gray prior to season 6, as a result of actor Helen McCrory dying in real life. McCrory’s portrayal of Polly is quite possibly the best performance in Peaky Blinders, surpassing even Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Tommy Shelby.
Polly was a force of nature, whose spirit seems to be channeled into Ferguson’s performance as Kaulo somewhat, judging by the matronly manner in which she addresses Tommy in The Immortal Man’s trailer. There are also parallels between the way she talks about Duke Shelby and Polly's protective instincts towards her son, Michael.
Meanwhile, if Tommy and Kaulo do become romantically involved, she could be his most intriguing love interest since the death of Grace in Peaky Blinders season 3. The mystery in which Ferguson's character shrouds herself could be The Immortal Man's version of Grace's undercover work in the show's first season.
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