Last week it was revealed that Anne Hathaway was among those testing for a role in Chris Nolan’s third Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Well, she must have done well, as Warner Bros. has issued a press release officially announcing that she’s been cast in the movie and will play Selina Kyle.
Many will know that Kyle is the alter-ego of Catwoman, but interestingly there’s no mention of the feline villain in Warner’s announcement. So what does that mean? Well, it too early to tell, but most rumours have suggested there are two main female roles, villainess Talia (who’s the daughter of Liam Neeson’s character from the first film), as well as a new love interest.
If that’s true then it would suggest Selina won’t be getting her claws out in the movie and turning catty, but with Nolan keeping all plot details under lock and key, it’s way too early to tell if Catwoman will make an appearance. Equally the idea the villainess will be Talia has never been confirmed, and the earliest rumours about female characters did surround Catwoman, although they always seemed more speculation than fact.
Also in the press release is the fact that Tom Hardy, who’s been know to have been cast in the film for quite a while, will play Bane (a character he was rumoured to be playing, along with several other possibilities, such as Hugo Strange). Not one of the better known villains, Bane was created in 1993 as a new adversary for Batman, and is best known for breaking the Caped Crusader’s back in the Knightfall story arc. It’ll be interesting to see how they visualise him on film, as in the comics he’s a burly, brawny figure who wears a luchador mask.
He’s also smarter and more morally complex than many of Batman’s foes, having teamed up with the superhero on several occassions. That leaves open the possibility that after two movies that explored whether to beat the bad guys you had to be worse than they are, Dark Knight Rises will introduce a bad guy who is morally only a sliver away from Batman himself. In his first appearance in the comics, Bane wants to destroy Batman as he believes it is the Dark Knight who causes the city to live in fear and that he has basically turned it into a giant prison (in a similar but opposite way to how Batman believes he can empower the people by showing them the villains can be taken down). Interestingly Bane and Bruce Wayne also share a fear of bats, which they deal with in different way.
For your info, here’s the full press release from Warner Bros.:
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolans The Dark Knight Rises. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Christopher Nolan stated, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.
In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batmans most formidable enemies.
Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.
The Dark Knight Rises is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.