10 Comic Characters Who Totally Changed After Appearing On Screen

Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, is one of the most iconic characters in comics history. He is so integral to the story and image of the Dark Knight that he is one of the only other characters to appear in every single Batman movie (with the exception of Suicide Squad, but is anyone really counting that one?). He has such an iconic look and recognisable mannerisms, it's hard to believe that he started out as a very, very different character.

Alfred was originally nothing more than some light comic relief. Although he was still Batman's butler, he also moonlighted as a bumbling, overweight amateur detective who would solve cases completely by accident. This got old quite fast, and Alfred was in desperate need of rejuvenation. However, unlike Batman and Batgirl, it was not the sixties TV show that prompted his redesign - it was the 1943 serial.

The thin, moustachioed William Austin played Alfred in the serial, and although the portrayal couldn't have been less similar to the comics, it made so much more sense as a character. Those working on the comics realised this, and concocted a plan to transform him: Alfred would take a break from working at Wayne Manor, and visit a health resort. When he returned, he had lost weight, grown a moustache, and become considerably less bumbling. This look has remained unchanged ever since.