When news first broke about Epix's intent to develop a series centered on the origin story of Bruce Wayne's beloved butler and confidant, Alfred Pennyworth, many Bat-fans turned their noses up at the idea. Then, as promising casting announcements, images, and an intriguing teaser trailer were served up on a silver platter, those who balked at the thought of following Alfred through his early days as a suave, sophisticated, and lethal SAS soldier, began to come round.
Today Epix has unveiled an official trailer for PENNYWORTH, the upcoming 10-episode series starring THE IMITATION GAME actor Jack Bannon as a young Alfred Pennyworth. As an ex-Special Air Service operative, the new series finds Alfred joining forces with Thomas Wayne ( Ben Aldridge) to establish a security company in London during the 1960s. While Alfred's top priority is keeping his clients safe, villains who introduce nightmares onto the cracked and cobbled streets of London have other plans.
Starring alongside Bannon for the Batman-inspired spin-off are Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Dorothy Atkinson as Mrs. Pennyworth, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Deon 'Bazza' Bashford, Emma Corrin as Esmé, English pop sensation Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes, Jason Flemyng as Lord Harwood, and Ryan Fletcher as Wallace 'Dave Boy' MacDougal, among several others.
After viewing today's trailer, I'd say that Bannon's Pennyworth is definitely giving off some serious James Bond vibes, minus the overt misogyny, of course. After all, Alfred is a gentleman, through and through. The show also looks to feature plenty of gunplay and intrigue as Faith's Bet Sykes absconds with Corrin's demure Esmé character. To save the young woman, Pennyworth and Wayne must join forces for a rousing game of cat and mouse, with a psychotic villain pulling all the strings. Honestly … I'm game. I've always been a major Alfred fan, as odd as that may seem. In fact, I pitched this very idea on my Talking Comics podcast years ago, so it should be fun to see what Epix and the PENNYWORTH crew have made of the concept.
PENNYWORTH is set to make its Epix debut on July 29, 2019.