Batman Fan Art Transforms Ian McKellen Into Comic-Accurate Alfred Pennyworth

Batman has some of the most iconic characters in all of comic book mythology, and the live-action films have yet to scratch the surface of that vast catalog of characters. We’ve already seen some pretty great versions of Batman himself, the Joker, and even the Dark Knight’s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth. Legendary actors like Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons have done stellar jobs as Alfred, but it seems that this DC Fan has an idea of who should take on the character next. A digital artist created a cool concept of X-Men star Ian Mckellen as Alfred Pennyworth with a comic-accurate design.

An Instagram artist that goes by the handle of @Skull101ify was commissioned to transform Mckellen into Alfred Pennyworth and it’s really good. The actor is best known for his roles in the X-Men franchise as Magneto, as well as his role as Gandolph in The Lord of the Rings. In the design, Skull101ify removes Mckellen’s hair and gives him Alfred’s classic suit. You can check out the fan art below!

Most recently, Warner Bros. and DC Comics released another reboot of the Caped Crusader that starred Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, and The actor is known for his social awkwardness within the press and it actually helps him in The Batman. Director Matt Reeves recently sat down with KCRW and revealed exactly how Pattinson’s physical awkwardness helped him play the Caped Crusader. 

“Not only is it a facet, obviously, of who he is, because obviously that’s partly him, but it’s something he’s in control of as well,” Reeves said to the Podcast. “One of the things I found so fascinating about working with him is he works in a way that feels almost like a method actor. And yet, you can see that he has great access to his emotions, and he puts himself into a state. But he’s also in incredible control of his instrument, the way he moves. It’s all very technical, and it’s very intentional. So I could say to him, I need this to be hotter, and he could access that very easily. [And I could say] but I also, because of this cowl and the way the light is hitting your eye, I need you to lean a little bit more to your left, because otherwise I won’t see your eye. And he could do both those things at once.”

Directed by Matt Reves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as GCPD’s James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Colin Farrell as Oswald “Penguin” Cobblepot. The film is streaming on HBO Max now!

Why do you think about the fan art? Could you see Ian Mckellen as Alfred Pennyworth? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @NateBrail up on Twitter!