In somewhat surprising news we are receiving an update from Chris Nolan himself on the details of the Dark Knight Rises, where it falls in his timeline, and was even nice enough to share some new images for the upcoming film.
Source: Empire News and Obsessed with Film
“It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.
“With Bane, we’re looking to give Batman a challenge he hasn’t had before. With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we’re testing Batman both physically as well as mentally.”
Speaking of physical challenges, what can Tom Hardy tell us about Bane? “He’s brutal. Brutal. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.”
They even managed to get some choice details from costume designer Lindy Hemming on Bane’s particular look
“He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and needs gas to survive. He can’t survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at his back, where there are two cannisters.”
That’s an awful lot of clarity and question raising in just a few statements. First off is the timeline in which this all takes place: 8 years!? Last time we saw our Dark Knight he was being hunted by the GCPD in regard to a murder or two so I’m forced to wonder where Batman’s relationship lies with the commissioner and company. Has he been hunted for all these years? Did he retire for a while and Bane forces him to return from the shadows?
How is Bane injured? Does his Venom has any steroidal properties or he he just a force to be reckoned with on his own? Where does Catwoman fit in all this? I may just have to pick up that issue of Empire to satisfy my curiousity for details. I’m not worried tho as I hypnotically take solace in repeatedly chanting “In Nolan We Trust”. In Nolan We Trust. In Nolan We Trust...
According to a set double, the first 10 minutes take place 6 months after the Dark Knight ends. It’ll have Bane becoming “Bane” and he actually breaks Batman’s back. Then it picks up 8 years later when Batman is recovered and after 8 years of Bane carnage.
I said they’d do a fast-forward for Batman ages ago, and people freaked out. how could they? why would they? blah blah blah. everyone is so used to seeing the immediate afterward from each movie. it’s cool that Nolan’s gonna show us something a little deeper, more like the current Batman. More of today’s Dark Knight. We’ve had enough origin stuff, now we need to see him as he is right now, bruised, dark, brooding. Bruce Wayne is the costume now, not Batman. That’s what we comic nerds want to see. He’s gonna nail it again.
Things doesn’t look so bright for Dark knight.
Well, hopefully he’s getting a lot of TLC from Selina Kyle! Wooof!
Oops “DKR.” Typo.
“In Nolan we trust”? Really? That kind of blind devotion is ridiculous, especially considering the HUUGE number of plot holes in TKR, one of which being the (only) 1-year jump in time, which basically means that, while Batman KNEW the Joker was running around for a year killing, he not only did nothing to TRY and stop him but was completely unable to catch up to him.
That’s not the Batman I grew up with.
Perhaps Nolan’s is just misdirecting people w/that comment. Although, 8 years would allow plenty of time for someone to have been Robin and then become Nightwing. Just sayin’.
In Nolan We Trust. It’s a running gag. Welcome to TMB! Now where’s your sense of humor?
The huge number of plot holes were easily overlooked by almost everyone in existence due to the movie still being phenomenal. Some of the best movies have plot holes, it’s just a way of life.
I’m not entirely sure but wasn’t Batman investigating the Joker when we first see him in TDK?
I’m pretty confident that Nolan’s Batman is radically different than any Batman that any of us remember. He just takes cues from his favorite incarnations of the character and lumps them all into Bale.
I have a feeling Catwoman has tried to take up Batmans mantle in his absence. I think hes probably been MIA for some or all of the past 8 years.
I’m happy to see Bane get a redemption from that awful Joel Schumacher interpretation, even though it seems they are tweaking his “Venom” a bit.
@Browntastic – I’ve read the Dark Knight Returns theory elsewhere and you’re right… it seems very likely that could be the inspiration here.
I wonder if the scene where Bane breaking Batman will be graphically displayed… the comics version was so shocking to see till this day.
Yes, he replaced one word found on every American coin, give him his own article for Nolan’s sake!(see what I did there?)… Anyway, I’m very very excited at the little comment “we’re testing Batman both physically and MENTALLY.” That mentally is HUGE for me. This makes me believe we will see a proper Bane in this movie unlike the Poison Ivy henchman man muscle we saw before. I’m very excited to see Bane as the brilliant tactician he is supposed to be.
Good article, thanks for bringing me this delicious news.
Wow this is awesome. What I am speculating is that Nolan is getting some inspiration from The Dark Knight Returns in a way by making Batman older and a little worn. BTW, I started that phrase on here (“In Nolan We Trust”)…you could at least respond to my emails and give me a chance to write for you guys :) I check this site daily, I’d love to provide a daily contribution and feel free to test my Movie/Comic/TV/Pop Culture knowledge…
For what it’s worth, personally, I’ve never received an e-mail from you.
It’s no biggie, I didn’t mind. I found it cool that you all used a phrase I posted on here and was joking around. I would appreciate the chance to write for you guys though, I’m always up to date on this stuff and I love to write. I don’t see you all posting as often and I’m sure I could increase the frequency of article being posted.
Wow… Batman will be badly beaten in this movie for sure. Wonder how much carnage is allowed to be shown here. NC-17 rating for this flick perhaps?
No way. PG-13. Nolan wouldn’t do something like to alienate audiences, nor would the studio allow such violence if it would risk box office revenues. Think of how much violence existed in The Dark Knight that was portrayed off screen. That’s how this will be too, or some other variation where will not necessarily fully see a man’s spine being ripped out of his chest.