A Noble Profession

Alfred Pennyworth has been a successful reinvention. Even through Michael Caine in Chris Nolan's Batman movies (are we calling that The Dark Knight trilogy?), Alfred has been the more refined, butlery version seen in Batman: The Animated Series. But the last few versions have been a little rougher around the edges, and it's worked really well.

Including Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's grizzled version in their Earth One books, Alfred has taken on a hardnosed, tough, more utilitarian demeanor that really fits with Batman's whole shebang. Sean Pertwee on Gotham, and Jeremy Irons in Batman v Superman are cool characters.

For the ups and downs that Gotham has had, Pertwee has always been brilliant. He walks a fine line of bending to Master Bruce's decisionmaking while also keeping young Bruce aware of who's really running the show. Pertwee's Alfred has made it believable that Bruce Wayne doesn't have to circle the globe learning fighting styles to come back and be Batman. He can learn everything as he goes from Alfred's extensive military training, and from living and learning on the streets of Gotham.

And for all the disappointments of Batman v Superman, Jeremy Irons stole the show. Like Alfred from The Animated Series, Irons is quick with a quip next to Ben Affleck's stoic Bruce. But unlike The Animated Series Alfred, Irons shows the weight he's carried by Bruce's side all these years. Even without a lot of screen time, Irons gave Alfred infinite depth.

I was going to use this space to compare how you can get a character so right like Alfred, with how you can get one so wrong with Jesse Eisenberg's Lex. But instead, let's just focus on the glut of riches we've gotten with so many great Alfred's.

I really didn't think I'd be pumping Alfred's tires so much when I sat down to write this.

-Gint