Pennyworth: The Origin Story of Batman’s Butler

Pennyworth is a television series that explores the early life of Alfred Pennyworth, the loyal butler of Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman. The series is set in an alternate history London, where Alfred, a former British soldier, works as a security consultant. Along the way, he meets Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane, the future parents of Bruce, and faces various enemies and challenges. In this article, you will learn more about the premise, the cast, the production, and the reception of Pennyworth.

Pennyworth Premise

Pennyworth is based on the DC Comics character of Alfred Pennyworth, created by Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson in 1943. The series is a prequel to both Gotham, another television series that depicts the origin of Batman and his allies and enemies, and V for Vendetta, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd that depicts a dystopian Britain under a totalitarian regime. The series is set in the mid-1960s after Alfred served in the Special Air Service (SAS) during the Malayan Emergency. He aims to start his own security company but gets entangled in a conflict between the Raven Society, a group that wants to overthrow the government and establish a dictatorship, and the No Name League, a group that wants to preserve democracy and freedom. He also meets Thomas Wayne, a wealthy American businessman and CIA agent, and Martha Kane, a socialite and No Name League operative, who will later become the parents of Bruce Wayne, the future Batman.

Pennyworth Cast

Pennyworth features a talented and diverse cast of actors, who portray the main and recurring characters of the series. The cast includes:

Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth, the protagonist of the series, a former SAS soldier and a security consultant, who works for Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane, and later becomes their trusted friend and ally.

Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, a wealthy American businessman and CIA agent, who hires Alfred to protect him from the Raven Society, and later falls in love with Martha Kane.

Emma Paetz is Martha Kane, a socialite and No Name League operative, who works with Alfred and Thomas to stop the Raven Society, and later becomes pregnant with Bruce Wayne.

Ryan Fletcher as Wallace “Dave Boy” MacDougal, a former SAS soldier and a friend of Alfred, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism, and helps Alfred with his security business.

Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Deon “Bazza” Bashford, a former SAS soldier and a friend of Alfred, who is a skilled mechanic and engineer, and helps Alfred with his security business.

Dorothy Atkinson as Mary Pennyworth, Alfred’s mother, who works as a maid for the aristocratic Sykes family, and supports Alfred’s ambitions and decisions.

Ian Puleston-Davies as Arthur Pennyworth, Alfred’s father, who works as a butler for the aristocratic Sykes family, and disapproves of Alfred’s lifestyle and choices.

Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes, a sadistic and psychotic member of the Raven Society, who develops an obsession with Alfred, and later becomes a fugitive and an ally of Peggy Sykes.