Artnewspress : Stepping into the shoes of an iconic superhero like Batman can be daunting, and Robert Pattinson is likely feeling it as he prepares for his Dark Knight debut in The Batman. However, the same also applies to the actors filling out the supporting cast, including Andy Serkis, who plays Alfred Pennyworth. Several actors have portrayed Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler on the big screen over the years, with Michael Caine’s interpretation in the Dark Knight Trilogy becoming a fan favorite. Serkis is also a fan of Caine’s interpretation, but he’s not exactly looking to emulate his performance:
He [Caine] was fantastic. His Alfred was legendary, I couldn’t even begin to go there, really. You find it for yourself. It’s like playing these iconic roles in Shakespeare, you go back, you revisit them and you have to make it your own, and see what it is about the character that connects with you and your personal venn diagram.
It sounds like Andy Serkis has been given his version of Alfred quite a bit of thought, and it may be a key factor in the film’s success. Aside from confirming that we’ll see a ‘darker, broodier’ Batman, he further explained to LADbible that the bond between Bruce and Alfred is the crux of the movie:
I would say that’s not far from the truth. It’s very much about the emotional connection between Alfred and Bruce. That’s really at the centre of it. And it is a really exquisite script that Matt has written.
