Ah, Alfred Pennyworth. Good old loyal Alfred. With several TV shows and film series focusing on the Caped Crusader, it’s time for his trusty butler to get a chance in the limelight. Ever wonder about the story of how Mr. Pennyworth was hired by the Wayne family? No? Well neither had I, but there’s more to the butler than meets the eye. Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, the creators of the surprise hit Gotham, are expanding their Batman lore with Pennyworth. The show will focus on Alfred’s life in London during the 1960s, back when he probably would’ve laughed at the notion of working for a man dressed as a bat.
Fans will note that Alfred is often portrayed as a former British soldier, and the show will focus on that backstory of the character. Jack Bannon will play the role of the eventual butler. According to Den of Geek, the character description refers to his take on the role as “honest, open-faced and witty.” It goes on to elaborate: “You’d never take him for an SAS killer. Alfred doesn’t know how to reconcile the kind-hearted boy he used to be with the cold, calculated killer he was forced to become. He’s a man on the make, who doesn’t know what to make of himself yet.”
Additionally, Ben Aldridge has been cast as Thomas Wayne, father of the Bruce we know and love. He’s referred to as “a young, fresh-faced billionaire hailing from the east coast of the United States. Confident and extremely disciplined, this young aristocrat meets an unlikely business partner in Alfred Pennyworth.”
So we can already see the connections forming of how Alfred comes to meet Batman’s father and become business partners. How one ends up as the butler to the other (and keeps the job for his next of kin) remains a mystery. But we shall soon find out. Pennyworth begins production on October 22nd and will consist of 10 episodes. Despite sharing the same creators as Gotham, the EPIX series will not take place in the same universe as the Batman prequel show.
