With the announcement that the first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is attached to the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, we’re finally going to get a glimpse of just what this eagerly anticipated film will be about. Until things are made official, I’m going to go on a little ramble about several theories I’ve both heard, and thought up on my own.
The most major thing I can think of is the fact that Bane (being played by Tom Hardy) is the big villain of the film. Bane, when he was first introduced in the comics, was a big deal. More than just muscle, the man who would live in infamy as one of Batman’s greatest foes was born in a Santa Prisca prison, serving the life sentence intended for his absentee father. After his mother’s death, Bane grew up among the dregs of society in one of the worst hellholes in the DC universe. While there, he learned how to fight, how to survive, and most importantly how to think. Bane’s chance came when he was chosen to be experimented on using the super steroid Venom (which had already appeared in the Batman story line of the same name). Bane escaped, along with a few other prisoners. It was from one of them he learned of Batman and chose to prove his greatness by taking on Gotham’s greatest hero. And his first plan was to break all the inmates out of Arkham, arm them, and let them run wild. As he observed the Dark Knight, Bane deduced his true identity and fought him in his own home, doing what no villain had done before: shattering Batman’s spine and forcing him into a temporary retirement.
Early details on the filming of Rises indicates a major connection between this version of Bane, and the first film’s villain Ra’s Al Ghul. It makes sense, as Bane was once a candidate for Al Ghul’s heir like Batman. What is interesting to me is how Nolan will interpret Bane. The recent Bat-films tend to lean towards a more believable reality, such as Joker’s disfigurement, or Batman’s gadgets. How they’ll deal with what makes Bane capable of being in the big leagues of Batman’s Rogues Gallery will be something to see. But what I believe is bound to happen is the best fight in the series. Bane was always just as physically capable as Batman, even without Venom powering him. And while I love The Dark Knight and its take on Joker, it did not have the grand finale fight that I’d have liked from a Batman story.
The other major factor is Anne Hathaway’s casting as Selina Kyle. The wording of that is major, since they are refusing to say Catwoman at this point. Catwoman was a major part in the stories they’ve looked at for both previous films, Batman: Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween. Also, given how after the events of Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne will need someone that can appeal to both sides of his identity. Whether they’ll keep the idea that Selina was a prostitute before becoming a criminal/anti-heroine remains to be seen. Personally, since the big point of the last film was that the conventional criminals were vanishing, and being replaced by the costumed supervillains, they may just go with an unconventional catburglar inspired by the escalation caused by Batman’s existence.
The most important point is the plot. Given how it’s all but confirmed that the League of Shadows will be making a return, will we be seeing an appearance by Al Ghul’s daughter Talia, seeking revenge? Is this going to be a love triangle between her, Batman and Selina? And having Bane as the major antagonist, will they rehash the plotline he appeared in?
Personally, I’m going to make a few predictions:
1) This will be the story that solidifies Batman as the protector of Gotham. I’m mostly basing this on the fact that it’s the final film in the trilogy, and as the entire saga is supposed to be about the early days of Batman, we need to establish him to everyone. Mark my words, when this film ends, it’ll be made known just whose protection the city is under.
2) More than likely, the danger to Gotham will be greater than before. After the terrorist-like attack on the city by the League in the first movie, and the sheer madness and chaos brought on by the Joker, having the city reach its greatest threat is just natural. Possibly (due to both Bane and the League’s involvement) they’ll take from the storyline Legacy, in which Gotham is threatened by an outbreak of a virus.
3) If Selina is not Catwoman during the film, it will end with her becoming her alter ego. It’s just logic.
4) And a rather silly one, but there will be at least 3 lines/moments that will become major memes.
Anyone else have ideas, theories, and whatnot before the trailer hits? State them here.
