Jeremy Irons Offers New Details On His Version Of Alfred Pennyworth In BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Alfred Pennyworth has been a major part of the story of Batman in just about every media adaptation of the character. 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is no exception, as Oscar winner Jeremy Irons is the latest actor to portray Bruce Wayne’s butler. Few details are known regarding how this version of Alfred will differ from past incarnations, but a new interview with the actor sheds some light on the direction he and director Zack Snyder are going in.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at Marrakech Fest, Irons is inevitably asked about playing Alfred in Batman v Superman. He admits that he does not have a large role, which is not surprising given the number of characters featured in the film. He does, however, reveal that his take on the character will be “quite” different from other versions, particularly due to being more physical. “He is quite a different Alfred than we have seen so far. Zack Snyder had very clear views about what he wanted. I would just say he’s more hands-on perhaps than just a butler.”

Fans have speculated that Irons’ Alfred is inspired by Geoff Johns’ Batman: Earth One, which has also influenced the iteration seen in Gotham. Irons’ comments about a more hands-on Alfred add more credibility to that speculation. It will surely be interesting to see how this incarnation of Pennyworth will stack up compared to the others. For the rest of THR’s interview with Irons, click the link above.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to hit theaters March 25th, 2016. The second installment in the DC Cinematic Universe stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Callan Mulvey, Tao Okamoto, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne. Zack Snyder directs from a script by Chris Terrio.