The latest casting news from the second Batman prequel series Pennyworth (the show itself focusing on the beginnings of Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler and surrogate father, Alfred Pennyworth) reveals two prominent female roles.
Actress Emma Paetz has been cast in the role of Martha Kane, the future wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and mother to Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). Paetz’s previous acting credits include Gentleman Jack, Final Girl, and Press.
Jessica Ellerby, meanwhile, has been cast in the role of Queen Elizabeth II, confirming the time and place of this series to be in 1960s London, England. Her previous acting credits include The Hunger Games, Get Him To The Greek, and Living The Dream.
Jack Bannon (The Imitation Game) has been cast in the lead role of Alfred, who at this stage in his life is a SAS agent, a role which will serve him well in the much later capacity as Batman’s aide du camp. In the comics, Alfred’s previous military training in espionage and field medicine aids him in both providing intel for Bruce and medical attention when conventional hospitalization is not an option given his double life.
Bannon is the fourth actor to portray Alfred on live-action television. Other notable actors synonymous with that role have been Batman‘s Charles Napier in 1966, Birds of Prey‘s Ian Abercrombie in 2002, and most recently Gotham‘s Sean Pertwee.
No premiere date has been set.
