Jeremy Irons talks Alfred in Justice League and Batman

Jim Vejvoda over at IGN chatted with Oscar winner Jeremy Irons yesterday for his new movie, Assassin’s Creed, during which time he also asked him about his future appearances as Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe. Here’s what he had to say about Justice League and Ben Affleck’s solo Batman film.

IGN: I was on the set of Justice League in April and I saw concept art of Alfred in action. You’re a tail gunner on the Flying Fox [the giant aircraft Alfred and Bruce Wayne transformed into a mobile command center for the Justice League]. Alfred’s now in a world where it’s not just Batman or Superman, this god in the sky, but an entire world of these people that he’s essentially found himself surrounded by. What does he think of all this?

Jeremy Irons: I think he’s waiting with baited breath to see what is going to happen. He’s in the employ of Bruce Wayne and he doesn’t always agree with him but I think he’ll help where he can. And I’m not sure in Justice League we’ll see that much of him because we have five superheroes to deal with and Alfred is just the batman [a term for the soldier-servant of a commissioned officer in the British military] of one of them. It’ll be very interesting to see where he gets to, when we get to Ben’s production of Batman this spring. I haven’t read the script of it yet. I think all of us who are sort of normal human beings, which Alfred is, we watch the gods with amazement and some spite.

IGN: We did see that concept art of Alfred as a tail gunner. Was that fun for you to basically get in on the action and get out of the Batcave?

Irons: Yeah, Alfred is a very hands-on… what I based Alfred on really was a close neighbor of mine, used to be before he died, Paul Getty. I remember the first time I went to dinner with him. I reached gates and a very kind gentleman took my car and parked it. I walked in and another very kind gentleman took my coat. And then Paul showed us through the hall and another very kind gentleman gave me a glass of champagne and then a very kind gentleman served us dinner. I learned during the evening that every kind gentleman who had been taking care of me was actually an ex-SAS member who was there to protect Paul. I thought, yeah, that’s Alfred really. He’s there. He’ll do anything. That’s where he comes from. That’s his mindset. He’ll wash the dishes, but he’ll also be a tail gunner.

IGN: Ben has already announced that his villain for that one is going to be Deathstroke. Are you a little excited by or disappointed by not having, let’s say, you guys go up against Jared Leto’s Joker now that he’s been introduced. You’re going to get a new villain instead of a new version of a classic one.

Irons: No, I’m just interested. I’m interested and I’d hold judgement until I read the script. We will see. Ben’s a great consummate director and I’ll be fascinated to see what he comes up with.

While there is no official release date for Affleck’s solo Batman film, it is believed to be coming out in 2018.

Credit: IGN