The Batman: Why some may reject a woman being cast as Alfred

Gerry Conway, and a number of fans, would like to see a female Alfred cast for The Batman, but would it be widely accepted?

Gerry Conway has some interesting ideas for Alfred in The Batman. This began when comic book writer Bryan Hitch tweeted for people’s thoughts on who to cast for Alfred, which makes sense, since we have a new Batman. Now, we need a new Alfred. And Conway tweeted with Maggie Smith in response.

Yes, Maggie Smith, even if you don’t know her the name will throw you off right away. She’s a woman. Indeed, you are correct. The first thing to note though is that Gerry Conway works in comics. You know him best for co-creating the Punisher and Firestorm, and for killing off Gwen Stacy. Hence, he is hardly just some voice crying out in the wilderness. In addition, ease your tensions for he is not working on the film, either. Nonetheless, where does this idea for Alfred come from? Casting a woman to play Alfred? Where does he get off? Hard to say, but let’s leave any jokes or comments about his age at the door. Can this even work?

Why Tradition Would Reject a Female Alfred

Right away, many hardcore fans will deny such an idea for Alfred. He is traditionally a male. We see this time after time outside of the comics as well, including film, television and video games. The last time Alfred received a unique interpretation in the mainstream comic is in the pages of Batman: Earth-One by Geoff Johns. Here Alfred is an old friend of Thomas Wayne, who he hires as a bodyguard. After the murder of the Waynes, he becomes young Bruce’s legal guardian and trainer. The butler motif is more of a cover for the public. This version later translates over to the Gotham series roughly. It’s doubtful that some audiences will buy the idea of Thomas Wayne hiring on a female bodyguard. Not to call them sexist, but it hardly fits the traditional gender roles that some accept. Or how about him being trained by a woman? Again, to some, this may sound emasculating. With these people, just toss Lady Shiva their way.

Christopher Nolan, meanwhile, hammers into how Alfred is basically a father figure for Bruce, given the loss of his dad. In Batman Begins, we see how Bruce is in search of a father figure. Early on, he has Ducard/Ra’s al-Ghul. However, he is too much of an authoritarian parent. Ra’s al-Ghul may respect Bruce, but he does not love him. Some may argue James Gordon, when, if anything, he is something more of a partner. Ultimately, that father figure he is looking for is actually Alfred — a man who loves Bruce unconditionally and teaches him how to be a man in this world. It would be harder to carry out this feat with a woman.

Why The More Open-Minded May Reject a Female Alfred

More from Movies

Yes, now we live in a world where we are challenging gender roles. Some people want more of a gender-fluid society. This topic itself is its own debate. Many may be open to the idea of a female Alfred. but some may just be bandwaggoning. Let’s be hip and subversive by casting a woman to play a traditionally male part. When in fact, they probably have no real story or character in mind. They are doing it just to be cool. However, problems may come with a female Alfred that they did not consider.

First, does anyone really want a woman following Bruce around referring to him as “Master Bruce?” In a way, this stills plays into the “submissive, subservient woman” trope. Plus, if she is to replace Alfred the butler, does that not basically make her the maid? Even traditionalists may not want this. You say maid and, right away, people think of those silly French maids that some laugh at and do not take seriously. She is still doing Bruce’s laundry, cleaning his dishes and cooking him supper, right? Again, she is hardly uprooted from those traditional female roles. What’s next, her sitting down sewing his cape?

Next. 4 ways Matt Reeves can make his Batman trilogy feel fresh. dark

Now maybe they can skip all of this and, perhaps, Bruce has a whole team of butlers and maids. Yet if you go this route, then you do not need an Alfred to begin with. In fact, if you still want that character but it does not fit the standard, you are better off making a brand new character entirely. Some fans are calling for this. Instead of making a character a different gender or ethnicity, why not create a brand new character for that race or that sex?

Home/Movies