Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler will not continue at HBO Max. Pennyworth was a Batman prequel series delving into the past of esteemed Bat Family member Alfred Pennyworth. The series ran for three seasons, starting at Epix before jumping over to HBO Max for season 3. There, the drama series created by Gotham's Bruno Heller was joined by fellow DC shows Titans and Doom Patrol, both of which were also canceled just a few days before Pennyworth's fate was announced.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that HBO Max has decided not to move forward with Pennyworth season 4. The series starred Jack Bannon as a young Alfred Pennyworth, who would go on to meet iconic DC characters like Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz). Pennyworth was retitled as Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler for its third and final season, likely in a move to garner more interest in the series, which appears to not have succeeded.
What The HBO Max Cancelations Mean For The Future Of DC's Live-Action Series
The DC Universe is undergoing a reboot, with the co-CEOs of the recently founded DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, switching things around in order to create a cohesive shared universe for DC, which will span movies, TV shows, animation, and gaming. While Gunn and Safran have not actively taken part in HBO Max's decision to ax any DC series, their goal to have an interconnected DCU across different mediums means that live-action series like the canceled Titans, Doom Patrol, and Pennyworth will become a rare sighting.
That does not mean that DC's live-action series with no direct connection to the new DCU will stop, they will simply be more specific projects that debut under the Elseworlds label. During the announcement of the first ten projects that begin the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, Gunn revealed that any project that is outside the main DCU storyline, such as the kid-aimed animated series Teen Titans Go! or the adult-oriented Joker franchise starring Joaquin Phoenix, will now be under the Elseworlds label. One such project will be the continuation of the Gotham-based universe that director Matt Reeves started with last year's The Batman.
It is widely known that Reeves is hard at work crafting an all-encompassing universe around Robert Pattinson's version of the Dark Knight. While the DCU will continue to present new offerings in the world of live-action TV —such as the recently announced Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold series — live-action DC shows outside the DCU should be kept at a minimum, with Reeves' The Batman universe comprising the bulk of it, if not all. It has been reported that The Batman currently has three live-action TV spinoffs in the works, including an Arkham Asylum show, a Gotham City Police Department-focused spinoff, and the soon-to-shoot The Penguin series starring Colin Farrell. DC's new approach means series like Pennyworth are unlikely to be made, with Gunn and Safran focusing on exploring the interconnected future of the DCU.
Source: THR
