Claim: Michael Caine played Batman's butler in the Dark Knight trilogy.

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , most commonly in association with Batman .   Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne 's loyal and tireless butler , legal guardian , best friend , aide-de-camp , and surrogate father figure following the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne . As an ex-Special Air Service operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community , he has been called `` Batman 's batman '' . He also provides comic relief with his sarcastic and cynical attitude which often adds humor to dialogue with Batman . A vital part of the Batman mythos , Alfred was nominated for the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Supporting Male Character in 1994 .   In non-comics media , the character has been portrayed by noted actors William Austin , Eric Wilton , Michael Gough , Michael Caine , and Jeremy Irons on film and by Alan Napier , Efrem Zimbalist , Jr. , Ian Abercrombie , David McCallum , and Sean Pertwee on television .