Alfred Pennyworth As You’ve Never Seen Him Before
Speaking of the Waynes, this is Joker, so we don’t spend a lot of time with them, but there is one sequence set in the grounds of Wayne Manor that’ll please Batman fans. After he discovers his mother’s belief that he’s the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne, Fleck visits the stately home of Gotham’s richest family. He briefly plays with young Bruce, before a British employee pulls the boy away and has an altercation with Fleck.
This character isn’t named on-screen, but you probably guessed who it was even before the credits confirmed it. Yes, this is indeed Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s faithful butler. Playing him is Douglas Hodge, who you might know from his roles in the likes of Black Mirror, Lost in Space and Red Sparrow.
Much like Thomas Wayne, this isn’t the typical portrayal of Alfred we’re used to. Sure, he’s just trying to get the kid he cares for away from this creepy intruder, but he still comes across as a bit of a jerk in his interactions with Fleck.
Young Bruce Wayne
Sticking with this scene for a moment, we can perhaps infer something from the identity of the young actor picked to play the young Batman in Joker. Little Bruce is portrayed by Dante Pereira-Olson, who previously starred as the child version of Joaquin Phoenix’s character in 2017’s You Were Never Really Here.
It’s possible the actor was simply cast because Phoenix could vouch for him from their previous collaboration, but the fact that the two have played the same character before definitely creates a connection between Bruce and Fleck. Is this supposed to hint that the pair are actually brothers and Arthur’s mother was telling the truth about his parentage?
What’s more, when Arthur calls the kid over from his treehouse, Bat-fans will probably take notice of how Bruce slides down a pole to get there. This has to be a nod to the Bat-pole that led to the Batcave in the 1960s Batman TV show.