Batman Prequel ‘Pennyworth’ Described as No-Holds-Barred, R-Rated Series

If you’re a DC fan mourning the imminent end of Gotham, then you’re also probably celebrating the news that Gotham creator Bruno Heller is bringing another Batman prequel series to TV: Pennyworth, the story of a young man who eventually becomes the trust confidant and partner of both Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Well, if you haven’t been at all excited about he prospect of Pennyworth before, this might change your mind: The show is apparently being envisioned as a hard-hitting actioner that would be worth of an R-rating!

Here’s what Splash Report revealed in its exclusive, which comes from someone who has reportedly had the chance to get a look at the pilot for Pennyworth:

“The world of ‘Pennyworth’ is something unique in and of itself. It’s a weird mishmash of an alternate reality post-WW2 dystopic Britain, neon-soaked streets outside nightclubs, and high society. The show is no-holds-barred: R-rated swearing, gore, violence, sex, are all prevalent in the world of ‘Pennyworth.’ That may seem like a weird choice for a show based on Batman’s butler, but in my opinion, it works wonders. It does just enough to separate itself from the likes of ‘Gotham’ and ‘Titans’ to feel like its own thing. Everyone talks like they’re in a 1960s-era Britain using appropriate language like “oik” and “skulldiggery.” It’s strange, I haven’t ever really seen a show like that before. The closest approximation I can provide is something like ‘Peaky Blinders,’ but even that is different to what ‘Pennyworth’ presents.”

There are plenty of good details provided in the breakdown, including the narrative of the pilot episode (warning – SPOILERS!):

“Moving on to the story of ‘Pennyworth.’ The main impetus for the show is that the Raven Society, a secretive group akin to the Court of Owls mixed with the Illuminati and Falcone crime family, need to capture Thomas Wayne. Alfred Pennyworth, bouncing one night at the nightclub, runs into Wayne and his sister. As such, the Ravens, through Bet Sykes and Harwood, try to get Pennyworth to give up Wayne’s location. They kidnap Esme and use her as leverage. Essentially, the entire episode, excluding the set-up, is focused on Alfred using any means necessary to get her back. Ever since the war, Alfred has been avoiding a life of violence and bloodshed, only using his skills for security. But this scenario throws him right back into the fray, almost like Robin in the new ‘Titans’ series. I love this choice to have Alfred be a hardened war veteran who gets pulled back into a life of murder and violence. There are multiple scenes where we see Alfred let loose his unmatched skills in combat, and they are just AMAZING. It’s bloody, brutal, and fuelled by strong pacing and character development.”

You can read the full breakdown over on Splash Report.

From this review, it sounds like Pennyworth will be something akin to Gotham meets Titans. The fact that the show is going to air on EPIX definitely loosens the chains of restriction, making this a unique experiment, indeed.