Who knew Alfred Pennyworth was only a few steps away from joining the Guy Fawkes resistance? According to recent revelations, the stylish-yet-short-lived Pennyworth series wasn’t just about Batman’s future butler sipping tea and thwarting MI5 in 1960s London. It was actually meant to serve as a prequel to V for Vendetta. Yes, the same world where totalitarian Britain falls under the mask of an anarchist revolutionary. That twist alone might’ve made fans rewatch the series with completely different eyes.
While the show ended after three seasons, insiders say the plan was to eventually bridge its story to Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta universe. That connection would’ve tied the fall of post-war England seen in Pennyworth to the rise of the Norsefire regime. Basically, before Bruce Wayne’s parents were even a thought, the world of V was quietly brewing. It’s the kind of crossover that sounds wild… until you remember this is the DC multiverse, where anything is fair game.
Now, HBO is circling back with a full-fledged V for Vendetta series, written by BAFTA nominee Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy). DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are producing, which suggests this won’t be your average adaptation. Given that HBO’s track record includes Watchmen, The Penguin, and the upcoming Lanterns, you can expect another ambitious take on a comic classic. Variety reports that Jackson is also working on The Death of Bunny Munro with Matt Smith, so he’s clearly in his moody British drama era.
It’s worth remembering that V for Vendetta’s story first appeared in 1982 before DC began publishing it in 1988. The original comic’s depiction of fascism, surveillance, and rebellion feels uncomfortably current. And that’s probably why Gunn and Safran are betting big on this project nearly two decades after the 2005 film adaptation starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. The Wachowskis wrote that version, and director James McTeigue delivered a movie that grossed over $130 million worldwide. The film built a cult following over time, especially once the Guy Fawkes mask became an enduring symbol for global protest movements.
Warner Bros. even plans to re-release the movie in November 2026 for its 20th anniversary. Between that and HBO’s new series, V’s revolution is far from over. But was the Pennyworth-to-V for Vendetta connection a missed opportunity? Maybe.
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