Right, then. Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Epix’s upcoming Pennyworth series assumes we live in a world not unlike that of Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. A world where the important—but not entirely, um, exciting—people in Batman’s life are put front and centre in cinematic epics designed to capture fans’ imaginations.
Even though one of the core conceits to DC’s Batman comics is that the wildness that springs up in Gotham City is, at least in part, a response to Batman’s presence, Pennyworth insists that there was plenty going on in Alfred’s life before he became a super butler, enough to warrant a live-action miniseries.
In the newest trailer for the show, Alfred Pennyworth’s (Jack Bannon) life takes a turn for the strange when he crosses paths with young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) in 1960s London. After stumbling upon a massive criminal plot, Wayne finds himself in need of security services like Pennyworth’s to keep him safe.
Bannon’s Alfred is one of the youngest incarnations of the character that we’ve seen in his history and it’s obvious that the actor is channeling a bit of Michael Caine into his performance, which is to say that he’s aggressively, charmingly English. Depending on who you ask, that’s a superpower in and of itself.