Gotham may be on its way out, but one of its producers is not done with Batman television prequels.
The Hollywood Reporter says the Epix network has given a 10-episode, direct-to-series order to a new show called Pennyworth, from Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller. It will “explore Alfred’s origins as a former British SAS soldier who forms a secret company and goes to work with Thomas Wayne – Bruce’s billionaire father, in 1960s London.”
Sean Pertwee, who plays Alfred on Gotham, is not involved, nor is this show set in the same universe as Gotham. It’s a totally independent story from anything we’ve seen in the Batman or Gotham City universes before.
At this moment, you’re probably thinking “Why does an Alfred series sound so familiar?” Well, there are a few reasons. For one, there were rumblings of it two years ago. It was also a joke in the latest trailer for Teen Titans Go to the Movies. Watch the first 20 seconds of this.
Plus, Funny or Die also made this joke last year:
Could this be a good show? Absolutely. Does it also feel like we’ve reached the bottom of the barrel for comic book adaptations? Yes, that too.
Pennyworth goes into production later this year for a 2019 debut.