Alfred Pennyworth has been a fixture of the Batman mythos for almost as long as the caped crusader himself has existed. So much so that It’s nearly impossible to imagine a live-action version of Bruce Wayne without his trusted butler. While Alfred began simply as Batman’s servant, the character has evolved over the years to become more of Bruce’s equal. As a result, the character has been portrayed by a number of highly-regarded actors over the years, each of them adding their own unique twist to the character. But now that The Batman has added Andy Serkis to the pantheon of actors to portray Alfred Pennyworth, it can only mean one thing — an arbitrary ranking of every live-action performance as Batman’s iconic butler!
Cover Photo: DC Comics
Ranked! Every Live-Action Alfred Pennyworth Performance
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9. Douglas Hodge - Joker
2019’s Joker is unsurprisingly not a Batman movie, which makes sense why Alfred is reduced to a cameo in the film. Although Douglas Hodge does what he can in a thankless role, he’s not really asked to do much other than being British. However, this version of Alfred is basically resented as one of Thomas Wayne’s thugs, which goes against the core being of a character such as Alfred. Unfortunately, this version of Alfred is so far removed from the Pennyworth that we know that it’s impossible to rank him higher.
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8. Ian Ambercrombe - Birds of Prey (2002)
When it comes to the numerous live-action versions of Alfred Pennyworth, Ian Ambercrombe often gets lost amongst the pack. 2002’s Birds of Prey TV series only lasted 13 episodes and is pretty forgettable overall, Ian Ambercrombie’s take on Alfred was undoubtedly a highlight. Even though Ambercrombie looks and sounds like the character we all know, the truth is that his version of Alred is merely just a copy and paste job that feels too similar to Michael Gough’s performance.
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7. Alan Napier - Batman: The Movie (1966)
As the original live-action version of Alfred Pennyworth, Alan Napier’s rendition in Batman: The Movie is about as close as you can get to a classical version of the character. Napier’s Alfred is surrounded by over-the-top performances in both the 1966 series and movie, which makes his performance remarkable subtle in comparison. While this version of Alfred mostly just does things like shine the bat pole and answers the bat-phone on occasion, what makes this version of Alfred unique is that he actually dresses up as Batman from time-to-time. In an era where Alfred remained a fairly stagnant supporting character with little growth or change, it is nice to see a characterization of Alfred that wasn’t just doing butler-y things the whole time.
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6. Jack Bannon - Pennyworth
Much like Gotham, 2019’s Pennyworth is the type of show that has no reason for existing other than to capitalize on the Batman IP, without actually featuring Batman. Ironically enough, this is not an entirely new interpretation of Alfred, but rather an origin story that largely pulls from Gotham’s version of the character. In this show, Alfred is a former British SAS soldier who starts a security business and starts working for - you guessed it - Thomas Wayne. Despite this all-too-convenient prequel logic, Jack Bannon is pretty decent in the role, offering arguably the most British portrayal of the character to date. However, Bannon often slips into what feels like an impression of Michael Caine’s thick Cockney accent, which only reminds us of how much better that performance ultimately was.
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5. Jeremy Irons - Snyderverse
Considering that something like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice completely misunderstands the character of Batman, it’s honestly a shock that it manages to get Alfred (mostly) right. Whereas Alfred is presented as a father figure in most of the other live-action interpretations, this version of the character is more of an elderly brother to Ben Affleck’s Batman. He’s not afraid to get into arguments with Bruce, while also providing a bit of humor to lighten things up between the two. While this version of Alfred is more of a support system in terms of Batman’s gun-toting adventures, the fact that never becomes a fully-fleshed-out character is a detriment to his performance.
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4. Michael Gough - Burtonverse
As much as Alan Napier was Generation X’s version of Alfred in the ’60s, there’s no doubt that Michel Gough was arguably the same for Millenials. Unlike most of the other actors on this list, Gough played the foil to three different Batman actors. Ironically enough, Gough is given the most to do in Batman & Robin, offering a surprisingly vulnerable and sentimental performance in the film. This isn’t to say he is bad in the previous films, it’s just that he’s relegated to a tertiary role in the others. That said, Gough is such a good actor that he doesn’t need big, emotional scenes to prove to you that he’s basically the perfect classical version of Alfred Pennyworth.
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3. Sean Pertwee - Gotham
Despite being one of the worst Batman Adaptations of all time, Gotham also happens to feature one of the best portrayals of Alfred. Pertwee based his interpretation on the Earth One storyline from the comics, meaning that this is more of a rough and tumble version of the character who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Along with giving Alfred an actual personality outside of the Bruce Wayne dynamic, Pertwee’s arc throughout the series tells the story of how he becomes a father figure, rather than exploring the why. The show itself may not be perfect, but Pertwee manages to tap into a nice combination of grit and compassion. Unlike something such as Pennyworth, Gotham’s Alfred is ultimately the best live-action origin story for the character by far.
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2. Andy Serkis - The Batman
Alfred has surprisingly little screen time in The Batman, but what Serkis’ Alfred lacks in quantity, he certainly makes up for in quality. With the exception of Batman & Robin, Alfred mostly acts as a throwaway character. When you really think about it, you could remove Alfred from most live-action Batman stories, and it wouldn’t really affect the plot much. The exact opposite is true for Alfred in The Batman. Not only does Serkis successfully capture the father figure dynamic, but his relationship with Bruce is a core element of Batman’s characterization in the movie. In other words, it’s basically the complete opposite of the uptight elderly character that we know and love. Along with being a person who one would absolutely respect, he's also the kind of guy you could have a beer with. The only reason why he’s not higher at this point is the fact that this particular story isn’t finished being told yet.
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1. Michael Caine - Nolanverse
Considering that Michael Caine is a cinema legend, were you really expecting anyone else at the top of this list? Aside from being easily the most nuanced interpretation of Alfred to date, he also manages to perfectly capture the many different sides of a character like Alfred Pennyworth. He is a friend and a mentor, a father figure, and a protector of Bruce Wayne. Although Caine’s version of the character doesn’t kick ass and take names, his relationship with Bale’s Batman was the first time that Alfred felt as if he was on a level emotional playing field with Bruce. Even though Caine is sometimes used for exposition dumps (especially in The Dark Knight Rises), there’s no denying that he also lays out that exposition in a way that feels natural and intuitive. Nolan clearly has a reverence for Caine’s version of Alfred in The Dark Knight Trilogy, which is why he often feels like the heart of the story. Simply put, Michael Caine’s interpretation of the character is the superior, most well-rounded version of Alfred Pennyworth (so far).
