Alfred Pennyworth is more than Batman's butler, physician, and confidant, he is the heart of the Bat Family and a surrogate father to not only Bruce Wayne but everyone involved in this group of famous vigilantes. So when Bane killed Alfred during the City of Bane storyline, this death affected Batman and his allies in a way that few deaths truly have. Although having suffered serious injuries in the past, Alfred had never perished; without his guidance, Batman spiraled into a period of grieving, obsession, and rededication to his mission. Although Alfred has returned, physically or metaphorically, in other storylines, a recent interview hints that there may be plans in motion for Alfred's permanent return.
After Bane killed Alfred, the Bat Family remained broken, with Bruce isolating himself to work on his new promise to improve Batman in Alfred's memory, leaving the others to deal with their own emotions. His death also traumatized Damian Wayne, as it was his attempt to re-enter Gotham despite Bane's rules that got Alfred killed. It sent Damian down a path of darkness and compromise that lead to him relinquishing his title as Robin. Although Lucius Fox tried to fill Alfred's shoes, Bruce's mental and emotional state left him vulnerable for the Joker and his slowly amassing army to take control of Gotham, enabling a systematic takedown and destruction with Batman's own weapons. Although Batman and his allies eventually turned the tide and ended Joker's control, Bruce Wayne had to push himself to the physical and mental limit to do so without Alfred by his side.
In an interview with GamesRadar, writer Scott Snyder hinted that Alfred could be making a return. Toward the end of Snyder and Greg Capullo's mega-event Dark Nights: Death Metal, Alfred is resurrected along with other slain heroes thanks to Batman's Black Lantern to help Bruce fight the Robin King. "If you were going to raise the dead and have everyone in it together," said Snyder in the interview, "there was no one who would put a small brat in his place the way Alfred would talk to the Robin King." With the Death Metal storyline leading to ideas like the DC's Omniverse or the Infinite Frontier DC Universe, Snyder was asked if Alfred's permanent return was a possibility, to which he hinted that it's all in the hands of current Batman writer James Tynion IV. "I don't want to spoil it for James. I feel like James is playing around with the repercussions of that beat."
Recently Tynion did temporarily bring Alfred back during his Joker War storyline, first as a drug-induced hallucination and later as as a rotting, giggling corpse during Batman and Joker's final battle. The former was Bruce's subconscious trying to help Bruce accept Alfred's death, admit his mistakes, and to get his head back in the game. The latter was another of Joker's sadistic attempts to drive his hated enemy into madness and when it failed, Alfred's body was later returned to its original resting place. Since then, Alfred has appeared in flashbacks or as a spiritual ghost to other Bat Family members dealing with their own grief, helping them to come to terms with his death and move on.
The issue here is weighing the pros and cons of Alfred's potential resurrection. He is one of Batman's oldest and most beloved characters, as a version of Alfred has been alongside almost every incarnation of Batman in comics, film, and television. His return could be a much needed pillar of stability during a time when Batman and his allies are having difficulty operating in a city that is becoming less and less tolerant of such activities. On the other hand, bringing Alfred back could negate all the character development and impact his death had, continuing to lessen the impact of death in comics even further. Despite his demise, Alfred Pennyworth continues to motivate and inspire those who knew and loved him, so time will tell if Alfred's return is part of DC's grand plans for Batman's future.
Source: GamesRadar