The DC live-action universe is in a fascinating place right now. While all hope seemed lost after the performance of Justice League, Warner Bros quickly recovered, and restructured the shared universe. With less of a focus on serialized storytelling, the studio is allowing directors to tell more capsulated and crossover-free stories. James Wan's Aquaman has been a massive success, and there are a ton of exciting projects coming down the pipeline, including Matt Reeves' The Batman.
The Batman solo flick has been in development for years, with Ben Affleck originally set to star and direct in the blockbuster. It's unclear when production might begin, as there are a variety of characters that need to be cast, including the Dark Knight himself. Does this also mean that Jeremy Irons is out as Alfred? It's unclear, although actor Ralph Fiennes is definitely interest in the part, especially after voicing the the beloved butler in The Lego Batman Movie. As he recently said:
Yes, yes. I'd love to play Alfred. A lot of good people have gone before me, so I'd be happy to follow in their footsteps.
While giving his respect to the Alfred Pennyworth actors who came before him, Ralph Fiennes has made his intentions clear: he would absolutely love to play the character in live-action. And considering how unclear Batman's future in the DCEU is, now is a good time to make those ambitions known.
Ralph Fiennes' comments HeyUGuys is sure to excite his many fans, who would love to see the actor on the silver screen as Bruce Wayne's father figure and caretaker. Fiennes has had a long and impressive career, so he's got the acting chops to bring heart to Alfred Pennyworth. He would hypothetically take the role from Jeremy Irons, who played a surprisingly badass version of Alfred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Of course, there's been no word on Irons' continued involvement in the shared universe.
Ralph Fiennes is currently playing another mentor in a major film franchise, as he's the reigning M in the James Bond movies. When Judi Dench's character was killed off in Skyfall, Fiennes' character took on the mantle, and is running MI6. He would be doubly badass to also inhabit Alfred Pennworth in The Batman, although that's just wishful thinking at this point. Matt Reeves' plans for the still developing blockbuster are a total mystery to the general public.
Ralph Fiennes voiced the role of Alfred in The Lego Batman Movie, and had some really hilarious moments with the title character. One really funny scene included him referencing every single movie version of Batman, so clearly Fiennes has done his homework. As such, he's able to pay respects to the previous Alfreds like Jeremy Irons, Michael Caine, Alan Napier, and Michael Gough. Now we'll just have to see if Fiennes ever gets to make into live-action as the character.
The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
