Cillian Murphy has confirmed that he will be returning as Tommy Shelby in the fourth season of BBC’s hit period drama Peaky Blinders. The network has also confirmed the Peaky Blinders Season 4 release date, ending a 17-month wait for the show’s return.

The Peaky Blinders Season 4 release date has been set to November 15 on BBC Two, Deadline reported. The new season’s availability on Netflix has not been announced.

Expectations are running high for the gangster epic’s return to the small screen, especially after series creator Steven Knight teased that the fourth season is the “best yet.” Peaky Blinders Season 4 was commissioned simultaneously with the fifth season, and Knight said that it might be the last run for the drama.

Speaking to Radio Times, Knight said he already has an ending in mind, which will most likely be set during the “first air raid siren sounds in Birmingham” that marked World War II.

Peaky Blinders Season 4 cast

The fourth and most likely penultimate season of Peaky Blinders will have Murphy return as lead character Tommy Shelby. The other returning cast members include Paul Anderson, Joe Cole, Helen McCrory, and Charlotte Riley. Knight also confirmed that Tom Hardy’s character, Alfie Solomons, will figure in the upcoming episodes.

The show has also added a few newcomers to the mix, including Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, Game of Thrones actor Aiden Gillen, and Happy Valley’s Charlie Murphy. Brody’s and Gillen’s roles have been kept under wraps, but they are expected to stir more drama in the show.

The new issue of @empiremagazine has exclusive pics from #PeakyBlinders, plus an insight into @adrienbrody and Aidan Gillen's roles. Out now pic.twitter.com/2dA7yLLoKA — Peaky Blinders (@ThePeakyBlinder) October 5, 2017

Peaky Blinders Season 4 spoilers

The third season of the show focused heavily on the Shelby clan’s rise to high society from their humble life in Small Heath, Birmingham. By the end of the season, Tommy made a deal with the police that ended in his entire family’s arrest.

Peaky Blinders Season 4 spoilers suggest that Tommy will make amends and try to heal the tension within his family. The upcoming season will kick off with Tommy receiving a mysterious letter on Christmas Eve, after which he realizes that the Peaky Blinders are in danger. He then returns to Small Heath, where he fights for his family’s survival.

Another major Peaky Blinders Season 4 spoiler so far comes in the form of a new heroine, inspired by a real-life female trade union activist who led around 10,000 female workers to strike in 1931, the Daily Mail reported. The character, Jessie Eden, will be portrayed by Charlie Murphy.

In the show, Jessie’s fight to give better working conditions to female workers brings her into conflict with Tommy. In real life, Jessie is known as a strong fighter who remained dedicated to her cause even to her last breath.

“To the very end her one true love seems to have been justice, fairness and equality,” actress Murphy said of Eden. “She comes across as a very inspirational person to be around and I’m sure that rubbed off on so many people.”

Peaky Blinders Season 4 will premiere on November 15 on BBC Two.

[Featured Image by BBC]