Pennyworth gets a new home on HBO Max – and a weird new title

It looks like DC's Pennyworth is getting more than a third season. The show, which first debuted on Epix back in 2019, has officially moved to HBO Max...and has been given a new title. Pennyworth serves as an origin series for Alfred Pennyworth, the butler to Bruce Wayne aka Batman. 

HBO Max, following the scrapping of Batgirl and cancellation of Strange Adventures, has decided to revamp its DC content – which apparently involves retitling Pennyworth to Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler.

It's a little on the nose, but it seems like the streamer isn't taking any chances: adding Batman to the title will hopefully push DC fans in the right direction, and get them to click on the show based on the newly added keyword alone. 

The crime drama, created by Gotham producer and The Mentalist helmer Bruno Heller, stars Jack Bannon as a young version of Alfred Pennyworth, which sees him leaving the Special Air Services and forming his own security company in London, UK. He eventually teams up with none other than Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldrige) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz), the eventual parents of Bruce Wayne. Season 3 starts up after a five-year time jump, paving the way for a new era of superheroes and supervillains.

Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler is slated for an October 2022 release date. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows or get up to date on all the upcoming superhero movies flying your way in 2022 and beyond.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

Read more
Andy Serkis in The Batman
Andy Serkis knows the story of The Batman 2 and he's "hungry" for the movie
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos just gave us our first look at the DCU's Gotham City – and a glimpse of Batman
John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 1
Peacemaker season 2: Everything we know so far about James Gunn's returning DC series
Colin Farrell in The Penguin
James Gunn tries to clear up which projects are DC Studios, but it's still pretty confusing
Creature Commandos
How many episodes are in Creature Commandos on Max?
Harley Quinn in Harley Quinn season 5
Harley Quinn references The Batman with hilariously specific Easter egg you might not have noticed
Latest in Drama Shows
Pacific Rim
The 35 greatest 2010s sci-fi movies
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2
First trailer for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 sees Maggie fight a bear, Hershel plot revenge, and Negan give Lucille a terrifying upgrade
Hughie in The Boys season 1
Rapture's number one fan Jack Quaid is back with a perfect idea for a BioShock TV show
Adolescence
Viewers are raving about Stephen Graham's hard-hitting new Netflix crime drama with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score: "Some of the best TV I've ever seen"
Adolescence
Peaky Blinders star Stephen Graham's new Netflix one-shot crime drama is out now, and it has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
Nicole Kidman in The Perfect Couple
Nicole Kidman’s hit Netflix show could be returning for another season, but she won’t be coming back
Latest in News
Yasuke looking over the water to a shrine during sunset in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows has an entire island stuffed with adorable kittens you need to check out, and it's based on an actual Japanese cat paradise
phase zero key art showing zombies in a hallway
Former Witcher 3 and Dying Light devs reveal their Resident Evil homage, complete with PS1-style fixed cameras
Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System was only created because WB Games wanted something to combat Batman Arkham Asylum's second-hand sales, exec says
First-person screenshot from ASYLUM, showing the protagonist's hand holding up a notebook while walking through a dark corridor.
After 15 years and a $120,000 Kickstarter push, this cult horror dev has finally released a successor to their 2006 breakout game
screenshot from Rogue Light Deck Builder showing a claymation figure sitting behind a desk.
With 97% positive reviews on Steam, Rogue Light Deck Builder is a hilarious $3 parody game that takes its name very literally
Lady Dimitrescu and Austin Abrams
The new Resident Evil movie may have found a lead in a Euphoria star