The Dark Knight Rises has seen an increase in marketing as more campaigns are expected to launch in preparation for the film's epic release this summer.
Fans are already intrigued with film's new villain Bane, played by actor Tom Hardy, who is rumored to be the death of Batman. Director Christopher Nolan revealed more information on Batman's latest villain Bane in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine.
"Bane dresses in a military fashion," says Nolan. "He leads a band of fanatical mercenaries who have done all kinds of horrible things and end up in Gotham. The essence of Bane is military power and brute force combine with revolutionary fervor."
In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, a full image spread of Bane reveals his military gear along with descriptions for the villain's field coat, armored vest, and iconic mask.
"One of the influences on the script was Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities, and with this overcoat we wanted to infuse the romanticism of the French Revolution mixed with World War II functionality, said Nolan in the interview."
"Costume designer Lindy Hemming combined modern military gear with more old-fashioned materials like leather to give Ban's outfit the utilitarian proactive quality he need. He's always ready to fight," added Nolan.
Director Nolan's Batman films have always fused realism into the plot, characters, and costumes of the Batman universe. Batman's suit underwent changes to enable more mobility for the actors. As Bruce Wayne well stated in the film The Dark Knight when requesting for an improved bat-suit, "sure would make backing out of the driveway easier." Even actress Anne Hathaway's Catwoman suit in the Dark Knight Rises may not appear as sexy, it was more designed for tactical and practical reasons.
Nolan also revealed clues into Bane's troubled past and how it is connected to his iconic mask.
"Bane is someone ravaged by pain from a trauma suffered long ago, and the mask dispenses a type of anesthetic that keeps his pain just below the threshold so he can function," said Nolan.
Hemming also commented on reasons why Bane relies on the mask as part of his costume attire.
"He was injured early in his story. He's suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is...the anesthetic," said Lindy Hemming in an interview with Empire magazine.
The concept of reliance on medication draws some connections of Nolan's Bane with those in the comic books. Fans have seen past versions of Bane injecting himself with venom for strength enhancement. A pump module connected to the back of Bane's head supplied doses of drugs that aided him in breaking Batman's back in the comic books. It is unclear whether Nolan's version will utilize Bane's anesthetics for enhanced strength or merely as a pain reliever. Either way, Bane looks to be an imposing foe for Batman both physically and intellectually.
We wanted more of a monster - Bane's the man who physically breaks Batman. It's an irresistible force versus an immovable object," said Nolan.
Check out Bane and Nolan's final chapter of the Batman trilogy when The Dark Knight Rises hits theatres on July 20.
See different iterations of Bane over the years from his comic book version, video games, to present day design. Click "START" to begin.
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