HBO Max Changes the Name of One of Its Shows as Shakeups Continue

Pennyworth Season 3’s subtitle, “The Origins of Batman’s Butler,” has generated a lot of discussion on the internet. In last week’s trailer for the third season about the origins of Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s future personal assistant, Warner Bros., and HBO Max revealed the somewhat excessive tagline.

While many have questioned the necessity of the phrase, Warner Bros. and HBO Max may have put the subtitle in place to ensure their DCEU TV shows and movies succeed and do well financially. Originally airing on Epix, Pennyworth stars Jack Bannon as the titular Batman butler. The show begins as a 1960s spy thriller but gradually adds more fantastical elements during the second season. After two seasons on Epix, Pennyworth Season 3 will premiere on HBO Max, though Warner Bros. hasn’t revealed why the new subtitle was adopted. 

There have been some shake-ups at Warner Bros. recently, including the appointment of new CEO David Zaslav, layoffs, HBO Max combining with Discovery+, and the cancellation of several projects, including Batgirl. There is a possibility the company is highlighting the show’s connection with Batman and Gotham City in an attempt to gain more subscribers. 

As revealed in the press release, Season 3 may focus on the more surreal aspects of Batman’s world since it “begins after a five-year time jump: the civil war is over, and a cultural revolution has changed the world for better or worse —ushering in a new age of Super Heroes and Supervillains.” 

Conceived as a prequel to Gotham, a five-season Fox crime drama about the origins of Bruce Wayne and his rogues gallery, Pennyworth was created by the same principle creators and showrunners of that series. In Movieweb’s season 3 preview of Pennyworth, the outlet remarked, “Anyone who has watched Gotham…will know that the keepers of the Batman mythos feel no compulsion to stay within the accepted boundaries of that universe.”

The writer opined, “Pennyworth bears little resemblance to the source material…”It is only at a second glance that the links with the familiar territory of the Bat-family become clear.” Due to the subtitle, the article speculated that Pennyworth would relocate to Gotham City for the upcoming season. The conclusion reached was that a “move during the season to Gotham looks as likely as not,” since the season is set five years after the previous one.

With a story as famous and frequently retold as Batman’s origins, Pennyworth appears to use its audience’s familiarity with it to its advantage. Despite this, leaning on Bruce Wayne’s story could end up limiting its potential audience. The third season of Pennyworth: The Origin Of Batman’s Butler is scheduled to premiere in October on HBO Max.