Its official! Deadline reports that Epix and Warner Bros. has finally cast Batman’s quintessential butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in their upcoming Pennyworth television series. Jack Bannon (Fury) will portray Alfred Pennyworth in his youth in the Batman prequel eries from Gotham show runner, Bruno Heller.
Pennyworth will consist of a 10 episode first season and will begin production October 22nd in the UK at Warner Bros. studio which has seen movie productions such as Harry Potter and The Dark Knight Rises. It will be the first ever television series shot at this studio.
Based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Pennyworth will follow a young Alfred, a former British SAS soldier, who has formed a small Private Security company. Alfred and his company will go to work for a young Billionaire by the name of Thomas Wayne, not yet Bruce’s father in 1960s London. The series will more than likely dive into how the two men met and how Alfred came to work for the Wayne family.
Bannon’s Alfred Pennyworth is a handsome, cheerful, and witty young man you wouldn’t pick out as a cold and calculated SAS killer. Alfred is trying to rediscover himself after his time as an SAS soldier and come to terms with the dark deeds he committed during his time in the military Special Operations community.
This will be the first time we really get a backstory on screen for Batman’s legendary Butler as most of his portrayals before have been a much older man who has worked for the Wayne family for many many years. We mostly know Alfred as a kind hearted father figure to the orphaned Bruce so it will be curious to see this portrayal of a much darker Alfred, something we have got a taste of in Gotham.
A premiere date has not yet been set for the upcoming series but it is looking like a late 2019 date. What do you think of the casting choice? Will you be tuning in for the premiere? Let Nerdbot know in the comments below.
