How is Andy Serkis’ Alfred different from other iterations and his relationship with Robert Pattinson’s Batman
One of the most important relationships Bruce Wayne has is with Alfred. While on the surface he looks like just a loyal family butler, Alfred Pennyworth is so much more. He is a father figure, a mentor, a partner in Batman’s crime-fighting ways. And often his voice of reason when Bruce goes down a path he shouldn’t have. Now with Robert Pattinson’s The Batman is near, it is time to explore how Andy Serkis’ Alfred will leave his mark in the Batman legacy.
Michael Caine’s Alfred – A father figure for Bruce Wayne
Christopher Nolan defined Batman for a whole generation with his Dark Knight trilogy. Christian Bale’s Batman was a more grounded take on the Caped Crusader and alongside was Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth. Caine’s version of Alfred was shown as Batman’s conscience. He is a helping hand and counsels Batman when he seems on the wrong foot. This Alfred warns Bruce that in his quest for justice he shouldn’t underestimate his opponents like Bane.
Jeremy Irons’ Alfred – A Tactically Sound Mechanic
Then came Zack Snyder to make a new DCEU from scratch. Ben Affleck‘s Batman was a lot more comic-inspired, as he goes from fighting Superman to forming the whole Justice League. Accomplishing that is not an easy task hence his Alfred had to be drastically different. Jeremy Irons’ Alfred was just that.
Not only was Irons’ Alfred a voice of reason for Batfleck, but he was also a great engineer/mechanic. Helped Bruce in crafting his Bat-suits and often controlling his many Bat-vehicles when Batman was in the thick of it.
Affleck’s Batman was shown to be a tactical style of the Dark Knight and his Alfred was a great complement to it.
Andy Serkis’ Ex-military co-spy Alfred
Up next is Andy Serkis’ spin on the iconic Butler. Since Pattinson’s version does not go to the league of assassins to learn how to fight Alfred has to take it upon himself to teach Bruce.
This version of Alfred is an ex-British secret service member hence has a lot of knowledge in combat and other detective know-how. Which Batman will need in his fight against The Riddler.
“In this version, he’s a lot younger, probably, than other iterations of the character,” Serkis explains in an interview with Total Film. “It’s also a very knotty and complicated moment in Bruce’s evolution.” Explaining further he said, “Alfred had a military background then worked in protection for the Wayne family before Bruce lost his parents. He has a great sense of duty.”
Sheading light on the nature of this Bruce and Alfred relationship he said, “he’s very practical. He’s not emotional. That’s part of the gap between them. Bruce is an extremely emotional character, and the only thing that really links them are skills, I suppose, in the same way, that the things that he was able to teach Bruce in his younger years were fighting skills and code-cracking skills… There is a sort of tragedy of Alfred as a character, and he can never have the connection that he wants with Bruce, that he feels he owes him.”
The Batman directed by Matt Reeves will release globally on March 4th.
