Pennyworth's Paloma Faith Teases Similarities Between Her Villain and Alfred

It's no secret that Pennyworth is putting a mix on established DC Comics lore, as it tells the origins of a young Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon) and his relationship with the Wayne family. In the process, it sounds like Alfred will go toe-to-toe with some complex villains, including Bet Sykes (Paloma Faith). ComicBook.com got to chat with Faith during this month's San Diego Comic-Con, where she provided a bit of insight into her character -- and how she serves as a foil to the main character.

"So Bet Sykes is a villain, she tends to inflict most pain on the men around her." Faith revealed. "She only does what she needs to do to other females. She kind of feels a bit frustrated, and actually, there's a lot of parallels between her and Alfred because they both come from a working-class background. I think the cards that you're dealt when you come from a working-class background is that there's an inevitability that you'll serve somebody who potentially either is richer than you or was born into wealth or whatever."

"I don't know what it's like here in America, but in Britain, the class divide is still very strong and it's definitive." Faith added. "It's more definitive than any other divide. More definitive than race, gender, or anything. Class plays a massive role and I think that's really illustrated in this because we're talking about a British perspective of the DC Universe. So I feel like their characters are both working-class and they're both a bit frustrated because they sort of see themselves as deserving better than their lot, their destiny that was preassigned when they were born."

It remains to be seen how audiences will respond to Faith's portrayal of Bet, but she hinted that that moral ambiguity - and her understandable motivations - make the character very compelling to play.

"I think what makes the show really exciting for me as well, I don't like things that are black and white." Faith added. "I like complexity."

Pennyworth is already being described as "unhinged [and] R-rated", with Alfred going up against "archetypal villains and classic villains of British literature" while in 1960s Britain. The series will also star Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, as well as Jason Fleymyng and Polly Walker.

Pennyworth will debut tonight, July 28th, on EPIX.