Andy Serkis Confirmed to Return as Alfred in The Batman Part II

Andy Serkis’ Alfred will be back in the upcoming sequel to The Batman, Matt Reeves has confirmed.

We can be sure that we’ll see Andy Serkis back as Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman Part II. As of now, we know that the sequel is in the works with Matt Reeves back in the director’s chair, and the movie has been given a release date for the fall of 2025. There’s not much else that’s been revealed about The Batman Part II, but along with Pattinson returning as the Dark Knight, Reeves has confirmed to GQ that Serkis will also return as Bruce Wayne’s closest ally. The director also commented on why he wanted to cast Serkis as Alfred in the first film.

“He is a genius,” Reeves says. “I remember when I signed on to The Batman, one of the first decisions I made, I said, ‘Andy, I want you to play Alfred, and I want to make it really emotional. Because I want people to see your face – not some avatar – and to understand truly what an incredible actor you are.’”

Serkis took the part and got to be included on the success of The Batman, which was a huge hit at the box office when it was released last year. The movie earned more than $770 million worldwide, makings its profits immense. It was no surprise that plans were quickly put in motion to further flesh out that world, including given the order for The Batman Part II. To help bridge the gap between the two movies will be a spinoff series at HBO Max. Dubbed The Penguin, the series will bring back Colin Farrell as Oz to chronicle the supervillain’s rise in Gotham City.

Related: DC Elseworlds: Stories We Could See In Matt Reeves’ Bat-Verse

The Batman Part II Brings Back Alfred

Production on The Batman Part II will reportedly begin around November 2023; let’s just hope that filming on the sequel isn’t quite as tumultuous as the first film, which faced many challenges as it was shot during the pandemic. As for Serkis, he hasn’t yet decided what else he plans to do with his acting career moving forward beyond returning as Alfred in The Batman Part II. Though he does say he is getting the itch to return to performing live on stage for audiences, but Serkis also admits that he’s a bit “terrified” of the concept.

“I don’t have a burning desire to play [anyone],” Serkis tells GQ. “What I do want is to go back to the stage. That’s one thing I want to do for sure – and I’m terrified of it.”

The Batman Part II will be released in theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. If you want to see something new from Serkis in the meantime, you can check out Luther: The Fallen Sun when the film hits Netflix on March 10, 2023.