New Batman TV show will give Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred an origin story

Though the series will come from Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller, it will be unconnected to the show

(Warner Bros. )

Batman's butler is getting his own epic origin story.

Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller will oversee a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for Pennyworth, produced by MGM-owned premium cable network Epix.

The Hollywood Reporter says the series will finally uncover the origins of Alfred Pennyworth, butler and closest friend to Bruce Wayne (aka Batman): a former British SAS soldier who established a secret company and went to work with Bruce's billionaire father, Thomas Wayne, in 1960s London.

The show won't be a Gotham spinoff - so don't expect any returning cast members - but is expected to tell an entirely new story, set within the wider DC universe.

Heller will pen the script and executive produce; Pennyworth will also see the return of Danny Cannon, who will executive produce and direct the pilot, as he did with Gotham.

"As genuine fans of these classic DC characters, as well as the incredibly talented Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, we couldn’t be more excited to make Epix the home of this series," Epix president Michael Wright said. "We can’t wait to work with Bruno and Danny — along with Peter Roth, Susan Rovner, Brett Paul and the team at Warner Horizon — on this fantastic origin story.”

Gotham has continued to deliver steady ratings for Fox, earning an abbreviated 13-episode renewal for a fifth and final season.

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