HBO Max is continuing the clear out their old DC shows, with Pennyworth being the latest series to be axed by Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report from Deadline. After three seasons and mostly positive reviews, the series that focuses on the early years of Batman’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth is ending after having only one season originate at HBO Max, with the previous seasons airing on Epix from 2019. Although a fourth season was teased by showrunner Bruno Heller, a spokesperson for HBO Max said in a statement:
“While HBO Max is not moving forward with another season of ‘Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler,’ we are very thankful to creator Bruno Heller and executive producers Matthew Patnick, Danny Cannon and John Stephens, along with Warner Bros. Television, for their brilliant, unique, gripping depiction of the origin of Alfred Pennyworth, one of the most iconic characters in the Batman world. An incredible blend of action, drama and humor, for three seasons, ‘Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler’ has taken fans on a mind-bending ride into Alfred’s eccentric world and the beginnings of cutting-edge super heroes and super villains.”
Pennyworth delved into the life of its title character in the years before he found himself working for Gotham City’s crime-fighting Batman. Starring Jack Bannon as Pennyworth, the series was set in 1960s London as a former SAS soldier who forms a security firm and finds himself working with Thomas and Martha Wayne. The series had a strong cast, including Ben Aldridge and Emma Paetz as the Waynes, along with Paloma Faith, Ryan Fletcher, Ramon Tikaram, Simon Manyonda, and Harriet Slater.
Pennyworth is the Latest Casualty of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Shake Up
With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s reign as the heads of DC Studios now underway, Pennyworth’s cancelation is almost a coda to the saga that has seen the scrapping of many DC projects, including the much mourned Batgirl movie and a complete resetting of the DCU which will begin with this year’s The Flash.
So far, Gunn and Safran have revealed the first ten projects that will be coming from the newly formed DC Studios, which include the expected Batman and Superman reboots and a fair amount of surprises such as Creature Commandos and Swamp Thing. While we are two years from seeing the first movies rolling out, there are still this year’s offerings to get through, as well as a dwindling number of DC shows lingering on for at least the next year over at The CW.
While Pennyworth may not be the biggest DC project to fall by the wayside, the show has been popular among fans and will undoubtedly be another miss from what was once a thriving and full DC slate. So while the list of DC projects will soon be full again of new shows, for now, all fans can do is enjoy the closing of one chapter while they wait for the new one to begin.