Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth or simply Alfred is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.



Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne. As a classically trained British actor and an ex-Special Operations Executive operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, he has been called "Batman's batman".^[2][3][4] He serves as Bruce's moral anchor while providing comic relief with his sarcastic and cynical attitude. A vital part of the Batman mythos, Alfred was nominated for the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Supporting Male Character in 1994.



In non-comics media, the character has been portrayed by actors William Austin, Eric Wilton, Michael Gough, Michael Caine, Jeremy Irons and Douglas Hodge on film, and by Alan Napier, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Ian Abercrombie, David McCallum, and Sean Pertwee on television. Ralph Fiennes voiced Alfred in two animated films. A young version of Alfred, played by Jack Bannon, depicts him before he became the butler to the Wayne family in the television series Pennyworth. This character will be played by Andy Serkis in the 2022 film The Batman.