Warning: The following contains possible spoilers for Zack Snyder's "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Warner Bros. is coming out with a "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" companion book and several photos, and snippets of information from the project have recently hit the Internet (courtesy of What Culture). What is perhaps most surprising about all these tidbits is what they reveal about Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons).
Alfred's backstory has been rewritten so many times that it would be understandable if you had no idea how he came to be in the service of the Wayne family. The most well-known story is that he is the Wayne family butler who practically raised Bruce all by himself following the death of his parents. While aspects of that story remain intact, the companion book reveals that Alfred originated as the Wayne's body guard and that he was the only member of the Wayne Manor staff that Bruce retained after the murder of his parents.
Given what we've seen of Alfred in the trailers (the dude is remotely piloting the Batplane!) and now this new information, it's more likely that previous rumors of Alfred having prior military experience are true. This would make him a much more helpful partner in Bruce's crime fighting efforts than if he was just a kindly old man who cleaned up after his employer. It will be interesting to see how Alfred's tactical knowledge helps Batman throughout the film.
The companion book also confirms that Lauren Cohan is playing Martha Wayne alongside future "The Walking Dead" co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne. In this new continuity, the Waynes' killer was never found, suggesting that Joe Chill may not be a part of Bruce's history in this version. Clearly, Zack Snyder is taking some creative liberties with some of the more canonical backstories we've come to expect from Batman. Hopefully, these changes work in the finished product.
"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" will hit theaters on March 25.
