'Pennyworth': Michael Caine set the bar when he played Alfred and Jack Bannon just raised it up a few notches
When we saw the versatile Michael Caine play Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne aka Batman's butler in 'The Dark Knight' trilogy, we saw a man who was unnerved, witty, tech-savvy, and had an air of confidence around him. There was always the question about this man's mysterious past which 'Pennyworth' set out to answer. Starring Jack Bannon ('The Imitation Game' and 'Fury'), the series aimed to tell the story of a former SAS soldier who eventually became a butler in the Wayne household and a father figure to Bruce Wayne.
The first time we hear a bit about Alfred's past is in 'The Dark Knight' when he narrates a story about a mission in Burma to Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). Coming back to 'Pennyworth', we see Bannon in a James Bond-like avatar; This man is a cockney-accented SAS soldier, suave, debonair-looking and who woos women with the utmost ease, not to forget, he's got some insane martial-art moves where he can toss a hulking baddie without breaking into a sweat.
Previously, Bannon had told us he'd molded his portrayal of the character based on Caine's Alfred. "So they (Creators Danny Cannon and Bruno Heller) gave me a point to the Michael Caine's Alfred would be the one to give a nod to if there were any because he said I'll play Butler as long as he's ex-SAS and obviously our story explores that so we were looking towards him anyway and that was helpful, because, obviously, he was like Britain's movie star of the sixties."
For those who have followed the season religiously, its totally fair to say Bannon did a stellar job in playing a young Alfred. Over the course of the series, the butler's many shades came to light, and Bannon has essayed each to absolute perfection. To start with is the preference of not really wanting to spill blood. In 'Martha Kane', he manages to successfully save a scientist from the clutches of the Raven Society without any bloodshed. This echoes to what Caine tells Bruce in 'The Dark Knight Rises',— to beat Bane (Tom Hardy) using his resources and his mind as Bruce Wayne rather than facing him as Batman.
'Pennyworth' isn't about a man with gadgets and a fancy suit. It was about a young man who wanted to leave behind the horrors of war and use the skillset for a better purpose. He had a normal upbringing, he fell in love and he's had his fair share of troubles just like anybody else. This is where Bannon pulled off a great performance. In many ways, his Alfred is the first, Timeline wise, he comes first and perhaps that was a monkey off his back. Usually, playing an iconic role and stepping into the shoes of a great actor who's played the part comes across as intimidating, not for Bannon though as he plays the character with absolute panache.
In 'Pennyworth', Alfred is the boss of his time. Bannon makes sure of that. Such is his presence that Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) buckles down and looks up to Alred. Agreed that he may eventually work for the Wayne's, but the '60s London was all Alfie.
It isn't just the I-am-cool scenes where Bannon shines. There are instances where he goes from near-indestructible to a depressed loner following his fiance' Esme's (Emma Corrin) murder. We see Bannon turn from a quiet and charismatic man to a ruthless killer. "The transformation or the seismic shift was when Esme dies at the end of episode 4. That was something nobody saw coming and least of all Alfred. He was expecting his life to go in a certain way and unforeseen circumstances meant that its kind of flipped on its head," Bannon explained.
Bannon also adds that while there was a transformation, he wouldn't spiral down to being utterly depressed or distraught. The fact that he's carrying enough grief was distinct when we see Alfred go awfully quiet soon after Esme's death. It is pleasing to see Bannon switch from persona to persona here. He goes from a Bond-like character to a tired and grief-stricken man. Then it's back on his feet and save the queen and country again. Even if it meant breaking the law, and losing queen and country. In each of these scenes, Bannon nails the role completely.
Season 2 is an absolute necessity and the plot aside, it would be great to see the young actor reprise his role as Alfred again. Caine set the bar, and Bannon just raised it by a couple of rungs.