21 Perfect Superhero Movie Casting Choices That Nailed Their Characters

17. Michael Gough As Alfred Pennyworth - Batman

WB
Warner Bros.

To this day, no other actor has managed to combine the sincerity, intelligence, or whit of Alfred Pennyworth better than the late Michael Gough.

Whilst that statement is bound to irritate those more familiar with Michael Cain's and Sean Pertwee's very commendable takes on the character, none manage to attain the heights set by the butler of Burton's Batman.Gough's Alfred may lack the bad-assery of the former MI6 agent's early days, but what he lacks in intimidation he more than makes up for in class and warmth.

He acts as a reassuring presence every time he's on screen, and also as a strong moral compass for Bruce to make note of in times of distress.To top it all off, Gough had the task of reintroducing the character to an entirely new generation - one he accomplished indubitably.

In this post: 
J.K. Simmons
 
First Posted On: 
Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.