It is certainly no secret that shows based on DC Comics properties have been dominating the small screen in recent years. While The CW has been enjoying the bulk of that success, it seems as though Fox may be looking to acquire a larger piece of the pie after having established hits in the form of Gotham and Lucifer.
According to Bleeding Cool, who has had some good comic book and TV scoops in the past, DC has registered a trademark in the name of “Pennyworth,” which is in obvious reference to Batman/Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler and surrogate father, Alfred Pennyworth. They allege this is for an upcoming TV series, which I must admit does not seem outside the realm of possibility.
We must not forget that just two months ago Fox network president and CEO Gary Newman said the following at the TCA press tour:
“We’re really happy with the creative on Gotham this year. We thought the Rise of the Villains has been great, and it feels like a world that has many, many stories to tell. We haven’t had any conversations with Warners about whether or not they’d want to do a spinoff series. I think that would be an issue for DC. It isn’t quite clear to me that they’d be ready to do that, but it’s a good idea.”
Although that was in no way a confirmation of new creative endeavors at the time, that quote gained a lot of traction and quite possibly turned some gears. If a Gotham prequel were to materialize in the form of Pennyworth, one would think it would focus on Alfred’s younger days in military intelligence. A veritable marriage of Batman and James Bond style concepts could prove successful if Fox can get viewers to invest in the character of Alfred.
Bleeding Cool also theorizes the trademark could be for a DTV animated film, but considering that Warner Home Video now limits that catalog to Batman and Justice League headlined features, that seems far less likely.
Tell us, would you tune into a Gotham spinoff of this nature? Or is a prequel to a prequel too much? As always, let us know in the comments section below.
