After the character was name-dropped in the series four finale, Peaky Blinders fans have been speculating whether Al Capone could appear on the show – and who might play him.
The most popular choice was, naturally, Stephen Graham, who played a young Capone on HBO's Boardwalk Empire from 2010 to 2014.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson – who plays Arthur Shelby – revealed that he's keen on having Capone feature in the upcoming fifth series.
"That'd be great," he said. "The period [the series is set in] now, he was running Chicago, New York, it was him... and Michael (Finn Cole) is over there, he's making friends with him, so it would be great if we had that introduction to the mob."
But according to Anderson, Capone's on-screen introduction might not be a sure thing. "That's the thing with the show and the writing. You can try and predict how it'll be, but I've never been right. I've never got it right!
"I've thought, 'Oh, next season, we'll probably do this...' and Steven [Knight, series creator and writer] has a way of surprising you. It's never the obvious. It's great, I love that. So we'll see, I don't know."
If Capone does appear on the series though, Anderson doesn't think it should be Graham that plays him – though he was full of praise for the BAFTA-nominated actor.
"Nah, I don't think it'll work, will it? Stevie would be perfect – I mean, Stevie is great as Al Capone, and he's a friend of mine and he's a great actor – but it just wouldn't work, because he already plays him in that TV show. I don't think that could work.
"It'd be like him coming in from Boardwalk Empire, it'd be like crossing shows. People would probably like that, but then it might be a little bit strange, or weird. Which is a shame, because he would be great [otherwise]."
