Warner Bros. sent the fan world into frenzy yesterday with the announcement that Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy will play Catwoman and Bane in Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises.
While fans had long-expected Catwoman to make an appearance in Batman 3, the addition of Bane was more surprising. The masked bruiser was always an option, but the majority of the speculation up to now had revolved around the character of Dr. Hugo Strange. Now that we know Bane is the primary villain, what does that mean for the plot of The Dark Knight Rises?
Although Bane is a widely known figure to comic book readers, the majority of casual Batman fans may only know the character from his absolutely horrendous appearance as a pumped-up Poison Ivy pawn in Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin. In this article, we will offer some better background on “the Man who Broke the Bat” and some speculation as to what Christopher Nolan’s “new interpretation” of the character might look like.
Who is Bane?
In brief, Bane is one bad mother. Created in 1993 by the team of Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan, the comic book version of Bane was quite literally born into a life of crime. Raised in a prison from a young age as punishment for his father’s crimes, Bane quickly learned to fight to survive, killing his first man at the tender age of eight years old. He also showed a tremendous aptitude for learning, becoming a verifiable genius in addition to being a muscle-bound brawler.
Realizing what a unique specimen they had on their hands, prison officials decided to test a dangerous super-steroid on Bane called Venom. Although it nearly killed him, the Venom serum worked, giving Bane enhanced strength and agility. In retrospect, giving a super strong genius even more power was probably not the best decision. Bane eventually broke out of the prison and moved to Gotham City to square off with Batman in the classic “Knightfall” storyline.
At the beginning of the “Knightfall” story arc, Bane organizes the mass breakout of Arkham Asylum. Why? He did it to test Bruce Wayne both emotionally and physically. After months of grueling work bringing down the various psychos tearing apart the city (during which time Bane figured out Batman’s true identity by observation alone), Batman finally faced off one-on-one against Bane. The result was not so good for the Caped Crusdader.
As promised, Bane “broke” the Batman – quite literally snapping his spine in half (and giving us one of the best splash pages in comic book history). He then took his place as the king of Gotham’s underworld, at least for a little while, before being defeated by the new Batman, Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael).
Bane in the Nolanverse
Now that we’re firmly caught up on the comic book version of Bane, we can start to think about what Bane might look like in The Dark Knight Rises. As he has demonstrated with his previous Batman films, Christopher Nolan likes to keep things firmly based in reality. That’s one of the things that has made his Batman movies so good (for some). Is it realistic that a billionaire playboy goes out at night to fight crime as a masked vigilante? Of course not. But in Nolan’s movies, you believe that it’s at least possible, which makes the story and characters that much more engaging.
Given Nolan’s penchant for realism, a steroid-enhance super-genius like Bane doesn’t seem like he would fit. Of course, by those same standards, a psychopathic clown with nerve gas that makes people die laughing also seems far-fetched. As we all saw, however, Nolan (aided greatly by an Oscar-winning performance from Heath Ledger) managed to make the Joker not only a believable threat, but also one that fit perfectly within his vision of Gotham City.
Using Nolan’s version of the Joker as a template for Batman villains, there are a couple of good ways to bring Bane to the big screen.
Continue to possible versions of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises…
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Also it wouldnt be the 1st time Racheal Dawes was recast
Yes, but you can’t re-cast her now b/c she’s…..DEAD. Unless, they brought her back for a flashback scene, but Nolan could just use stock footage for that.
unless she isnt dead, all that was shown was a explosion.
Also how is her death going to effect Bruce, i imagine he has turnt more vicious
I think it’s obvious she died in the explosion. Unless, she borrowed Nightcrawler’s teleportation ability
Watch the movie again.
shes sat on a roof and theres an explosion, so for all we know she was sat opposite the building Harvey was in
are you really arguing of Rachel died? She’s dead. Nolan wrote it like that…
if*
BdR
Rachel wasn’t on a roof; she was IN another warehouse, separate from Harvey. The two warehouses were some distance from each other so that Batman would have choose which person to save.
Seriously, what film DID you watch? It obviously was not “The Dark Knight”.
This BdR guy has no clue what he’s writing. Seriously, “she sat on a roof”? She was sitting in large room filled with gas cans, how could anyone confuse that with sitting on a roof? What Archaeon said was right. The point was to test Bruce by having him choose, to save his personal love interest, or to save Harvey – in the best interest for Gotham. Bruce went after Rachel, only to discover that the Joker had told him the opposite location, thus he actually saved Harvey and Rachel died.
I’d rather see him play a naked greased up Bronson in the next film and beat the crap out of that A-hole Christain Bale
Hey folks,
We’ve added some fan art showing what Hardy might look like as Bane (page 2 of the article).
To reiterate, this is FAN artwork, nothing official.
Vic
Dawes died, that is obvious, so we’ll only see her in possible flashbacks which Nolan doesn’t really do.
It doesnt bother me with Hardy’s size, unlike other people, im sure it will be great.
I dont like this hybrid talk! I mean Bane is Bane, let him be Bane. not with Hugo Strage or Black Mask. I know you guys really wanted Hugo in ths one, but he is not in it, face it. Blck Mask can actually still be in if you think abut is a mafia crime lord, even though i doubt it. And I can see Bane crossing paths with Catwoman. maybe he takes her hostage or if Catwoman is real bad in the film I can see her making a deal with him to get Batman.
“A Bane/Strange hybrid would make for a great brains/brawn double threat,”
I hope this has already been addressed, but, Bane, in the Knightfall comics, is not only super-strong – he is a veritable genius. So, this ultimately makes zero sense. Bane is already a brains & brawn double threat.
My theory, Bane grew up in the Caribbean and, like the comics, was sentenced to life in prison for his father’s crime. He grew up with a deep hatred for his father and all criminals. He became strong, learning to fight in order to survive in prison. One day, he is visited by a man, named Henri Ducard, and is asked to join the League of Shadows. He accepts and Ducard breaks him out of prison. Bane rises through the ranks until he becomes one of Ra’s most powerful agents. Years later, the League of Shadows attempts to destroy Gotham, but fails and Ra’s is killed by Batman. Talia Al Ghul rises to fill her father’s position as head of the organization and she asks Bane to become her partner; he’ll be in charge of taking out Batman, while Talia focuses on destroying Gotham. That’s my theory on how Bane will be presented in Nolan’s Universe.
yeh or that we learn Racheal Dawes is Rajs daughter
Rachel isn’t RA’S’ daughter, Talia Al Ghul is. Rachel is dead, she’s not coming back nor is Harvey Dent.
are you seriously that thick?
Who? Me or BdR?
Essentially, BANE is a gimmick laden character dreamed up by the writers at DC (at the time) to sell comic books. Being a relatively new addition to the ranks of the Caped Crusader’s villains gallery, he carries none of the history or weight that came from years of storyline development that the other more established bad guys were privy to. However, up on the big screen under Christopher Nolan’s watchful eye, BANE does have an opportunity to undergo a renaissance of sorts, in that this character may finally be fleshed out into the menacing brutish criminal mastermind that he has the potential to be.
Lance,
Well considering Batman’s long history you’re right – but Bane WAS created 18 years ago. (How time flies)
Vic
Let’s talk Catwoman… There is that one interpretation where she is a prostitute/dominatrix… She chose the whip as a weapon because not many people are adept with them. Very gritty. Nor has there been any characters interpreted this way in a Comic film. Who’s to say that Gothams’ Ho’s won’t play a part in the film. Prostitution can be considered a crime. I am all about some Anne Hathaway being a bullwhip toting Dominatrix kittie cat with claws.
Now, Bane. I think I’m stumped. Hardy is gonna be huge as hell. Maybe the prison look would suit the character. Maybe Bane will somehow recall the look of the prisoners on the ferry in TDKR. So, if it’s a steroid he’s using, Nolan just might keep sh*t grimy and just have the character giving himself injections with syringes. That’s pretty realistic and that is the ONLY way I think this character is gonna have any “realness” to it. Let him be a real, drug addicted, super-intelligent, cut-throught prisoner.
… Just sayin’.
Now,
Well I’m pretty sure that Nolan is probably going to have Bane be some steroid addicted ex wrestler/ body builder/ mma fighter that turns to crime to pay for his habit. Needless to say he gets caught and goes to prison where he comes to meet a certain Dr. Crane and the rest as they say is history.
Catwoman on the other hand is going to be the most interesting to see brought to the Nolan bat-verse. Is he going to make her a Madame, a famous thief, or just a scorned woman turned vigilante. The question is does Anne Hathaway have the range to play this character? I know she’s been Oscar nominated but will she be able to get in touch with her dark side for this. Personally I think Evangeline Lilly would have been a better choice maybe even Jessica Biel but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see like everyone else.
@ Vic
I know its fan-made, but i sure hope Nolan doesn’t have Bane lookin like that. Cause he would look pretty darn close to Whiplash from Iron Man 2, only he doesn’t have whips attached lol.
Yeah, that’s been the biggest issue with that concept drawing.
Vic
I’ve always thought that Bane would be good for the third movie; I just thought he would be part of the Talia al Ghul storyline, as he was in the comics.
I loved the batman Knightfall series with Bane but isn’t it a little early to be bring in such a detrimental villain on to the scene??? I mean Bane damn near kills the Bat, and in Nolans universe the Bat has just begun right?? I think the Black Mask, Clay Face, Killer Crock, or even the Ventriloquist (loved him in the cartoons) would have been better… And the tittle”The Dark Knight Rises” makes it sounds like he triumphs in the end, over Bane??? I don’t remember things ending so well for Brucy…I guess we’ll just have to wait to see what Nolans interpretation of Bane will be, I have faith what ever it is, it will be good
Love seeing how Nolan has the balls to cast against type by choosing Anne ahead of the other actress she quite obviously beat out for the Catwoman role! It’s interesting also that both Heath Ledgers and Anne Hathaways filmographys and resumes are similar before being cast as The Joker and Catwoman respectively.
I’m also glad we will finally get to see more ideal and definitive onscreen interpretation of Catwoman….FINALLY! Pfieffer did a good job in Returns, but the characterization was an out of whack choice by Burton and we all know Halle Berrys Catwoman in name only atrocity was ill conceived.
Anne must have really impressed Nolan during the screentesting process with Bale and knocked it out of the park during her readings with Nolan. In Nolan I trust, far more than cry baby little girl fanboys who have no credibility!
This last Bat film by Team Nolan will be epic and of course him targeted Hardy as Bane is a stroke of genius also.
awesome this should be good if they do it right and dont add anymore and make the same mistake as spiderman 3 this will be the best yet i think.
Rakes, that was you wasn’t it?
Well I just don’t think Bane would be Bane without his mask. A good question would be how is Catwoman going to be attired, hopefully in something like what she wears in the Hush story line.
Confused by everyone’s cautious attitude about Anne Hathaway. I think she’ll prove to be great as Catwoman, and I can imagine the chemistry between the two of them already.
I know everyone says it, but I can’t forget how appealed people were at first when they heard Heath Ledger was going to be the Joker. I think judging Hathaway on projects entirely unrelated to this one won’t serve anyone well.
I admit, I’m most curious about how Catwoman will fit into the storyline, not Bane. Chances are good Bane will be the main big bad, with the regular ol’ plot structured around him. And Catwoman will hang on the side. That’s how it always goes. But I want to see Nolan inject Catwoman into the story in a truly interesting and original way. Catwoman is good because she isn’t just a love interest and she isn’t just pure evil either. I think, done right, she’ll be a great addition but Nolan’s track record writing female characters is a bit poor so far.
As for Bane, I think Tom Hardy is great and I’m excited to see him in the role. I know he’ll pull it off really well, too. I just kind of wish they had cast someone Latino to keep the background of his character, and not keep up the whitewashing Hollywood loves to do.
I know that we should wait until we actually watch the movie before we criticize Nolans choice to play the villains but sometimes it’s really hard not too. But you reminded me of what I originally thought about Heath Ledger playing the Joker when I first heard about it and i believe my actual words were “Him!?!” but he turned out to be excellent. So I agree to withhold judgement about Mr. Hardy and Ms. Hathaway until I actually see the film, but it’s going to be a long year though. I also agree that they should have cast a Latino to play Bane just to keep things to canon, but then again I thought Ra’s al-Ghoul was supposed to be Arabic and he was pittance by an Asian and European respectively. However like I said earlier we will just have to wait until next year to reserve our judgment.
That should say portrayed not pittance.
TDKR be epic? Don’t get your hopes up about it having that same spark TDK had. Afterall, how many 3rd films turn out to be great? Doesn’t matter if Hathaway is Catwoman who is nothin like the Joker so why try to compare her role to Ledger’s when the outcome could be bad? Im curious how this 3rd film pans out.
I think you kinda missed the point. They aren’t comparing the roles or the characters, just the fact that Heath Ledger seemed to be an unusual choice for his role, and people are saying the same thing about Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.
I agree totally with you once again WallyWest.
hi all, I think Bane is the villain who deserved a chance in Batman but it is very difficult to see him alone, mainly because it azrael who defeated himand noy Batman. on the other hand I do not think Nolan follow a single comic I think he studied the characters and tries to appear in the movie most of its main features, so I think that Bane came to Gotham to take the city and defeat batman sow terror and the same people of Gotham will ask for his hero And thats how i think the movie tittle it is the oppositte of Knightfall, with respect to catwomani think she will stay in the middle sometimes side Batman and others Bane as she wish but fulfilling a dual role as Selina batman`s girl and villain and thieves just like year ONE
I think Bane will be a great villain in the third Batman movie for amongst other things NOT mentioned in the article (understandably so), Bane will be Batman’s first super-villain (super powered physically). He’s an ideal character to tackle seeing as how the Justice League movie is on the distant horizon. Having Batman take on a Supervillain will make viewers understand that if there is a Justice League movie, just why and how Batman will be able to hold his own despite being over powered physically.
Another thing I think is a big reason for the choice of characters is that Catwoman will end up offering her services to help Batman face a Gotham filled with villains run rampant. I think it is something that will make for a serious lesson for Batman- who when he is in the cape he runs solo. He will learn how to accept help from someone other than Alfred. When he fights crime he’ll learn how about team work in the field of battle fighting alongside Catwoman.
Maybe these villain choices Nolan/Warner Bros./ DC were with JLA in mind?
Maybe but I don’t think
There should be a so on the end of that sentence. Because I swear I really do think.
this may have already been said, but, if they use Bane how he was used on the Batman: The Animated Series Episode “Over The Edge” (the BEST episode of the new look Batmans and maybe the whole series..) that would be perfect.
@ Kevin
I liked how Batman used his cape to gather rocks to hit Bane in the head with in that episode,lol.
I was referring to that specific episode as a good example of how he could be portrayed which is VERY different than how he was originally conceived, but still consistent with him. As for the character in the comics, his creator Chuck Dixon and most recently (and still currently) Gail Simone have done some VERY interesting things with him.
The first animated Batman series on Fox or the newer ones on the CW, because anything on the Fox series was awesome the CW not so much. Though still good. Just not as good as the one on Fox.
I loved every episode Bane was in of Batman: TAS. His first appearance episode is of-course my favorite. Over The Edge is tied with Knight Time episode. I wished they made more of The New Batman Adventures cause Nightwing wasn’t shown all that much, i think 4 or 5 episodes outta the 24 that aired. Just came to mind that a new villain like Lock-Up would be a great choice of a villain for Nolan’s film. I remember watching the episode on Batman:TAS & thought he’d make a good villain, from time to time. He takes his job seriously, like he says to Batman: You bring them & i’ll keep them locked up. Congraduations Mr. Crane, you’re the first person to escape on my watch, you’ll also the last lol.
i dont think they are gonna use the steriod in the movie…i just think tom hardy is going to be a crazy masked guy that is very smart and is buff enough to physicaly fight batman….but not crazy big- about as big as he was in bronsen. Remember nolan has taken a ton of liberties with the comics and this is an original story so he will take even more liberties…i also think bane will have scenes without his mask…tom hardy has a certain charm that would make him good at being a snake. i do think catwoman will start off as a thief but by the end join batman to stop bane…maybe tas al guld (not looking up proper spelling)will end up being in it and batman and catwoman fight them in in a epic final fight. One last prediction…i think batman will hang it up in the end of the movie and BRUCE WAYNE will become like his father and become the hero the city needs by making the city a better place with all of his money…Does he get together with catwoman? yes at some point in the movie but i say she dies in the final fight with the bad guys, however i could see them staying together in the end…i really think nolan is going to END it.I mean finish the story completely and not leave it open ended. So whoever does batman next cant even try to poach his story. Just guesses!!!!
See, i’m gonna disagree, while the streamlined animation of the KidsWB episodes might not be as good as the Fox episodes, it was more consistent (the main reason for the change, easier to animate), and most importantly the quality of writing on the “new look” episodes blows away the earlier ones.