Many people see Batman as a loner, but that simply isn't true. Even if you ignore his numerous sidekicks he's brought into his war against crime, Bruce Wayne almost always has Alfred Pennyworth by his side. The DC Extended Universe was no exception, as Jeremy Irons' Alfred was Batman's most trusted confidant earlier this year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Alfred will return next year in Justice League, but don't expect him to act differently around the movie's other superheroes. In fact, he's going to keep the same level-headed demeanor he rocks around his cowled boss.
During his interview with ComingSoon.net, Jeremy Irons was asked whether the tonal changes in Justice League means that the actor had to alter how he played Alfred compared to his approach in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This was his response:
No, Alfred is a stickler for staying the same. He tries to modulate everybody else. In a very gentle, English way he tries to deal with these people who can do all these extraordinary things in a very calm way, a very grounded way. He does not modulate at all. He sometimes lets Bruce Wayne out a bit on the lead, but he's still attached.
While Batman is the only member of the Justice League without special abilities, Alfred is much more an everyman than the Caped Crusader, so it's good to hear that he won't suddenly deal with a personality shift as the other Justice Leaguers come in. He'll still be his cool, collected self, and we wouldn't have it any other way. This kind of approach reminds me of how Alfred interacted with the heroes in the Justice League animated series three-parter "Starcrossed." Even in the presence of these mighty figures, he conducted his butler duties as normal and even counseled Hawkgirl. Maybe we'll see Jeremy Irons' Alfred offer some words of wisdom to Flash, Wonder Woman or one of Batman's other teammates.
Even though Jeremy Irons' iteration of Alfred Pennyworth came only four years after Michael Caine's final performance as the character in The Dark Knight Rises, Irons still left a memorable stamp on the butler, opting for a more sarcastic approach. Still, it was clear that he cares deeply for Bruce Wayne, otherwise he wouldn't have stuck around with him for 20 years in Gotham City to face death and destruction on a regular basis. Still, the world has changed recently, and with "gods" now publicly roaming the Earth, it might take Alfred a while to get used to this new status quo, even if he doesn't show it on the outside.
Justice League hits theaters on November 17, 2017, and following that, Jeremy Irons is expected to reprise Alfred in Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie, which doesn't have a release date assigned yet.
