Christopher Nolan Spills 'The Dark Knight Rises' Details: Eight Years Later

When we last left Bruce Wayne, he was a debonaire aristocrat in the prime of his life. He had just defeated the Joker, was in prime physical shape and had restored order to Gotham's night. So as disconcerting as it may be, don't be surprised to find a much more brittle Dark Knight when you see him next.

While next summer's sequel will hit big screens four years after "The Dark Knight" bowed in 2008, director Christopher Nolan revealed the film will double that in time passed between movies, and will provide a definite finale to the storyline he began with, fittingly, "Batman Begins."

"It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story," he told Empire Magazine. "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."

The villain, this time, will be Bane. We've seen plenty of photos of the Tom Hardy-portrayed freak of nature, with his bulging muscles and mask that provides life-sustaining gasses. In the comics lore, Bane breaks Batman's back, and we've seen plenty of indication that some massive brawling will go down. In fact, an all out, hand-to-hand rumble was filmed earlier this month in New York City, and as Hardy told Empire, it's going to feature some dirty grappling.

"It's not about fighting. It's about carnage," Hardy said. "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."

Hardy certainly has the background to make it happen; he starred as a brutal brawler in the film "Bronson," and in the recent MMA movie, "Warrior."

For more, click over to Empire.

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Comments

[Ty Doane]

08:45 PM on 11/23/2011

im not quite sure what nolan is trying to do, like why is it 8 years later, why does Bane look so small and short, and why batman may be killed? i understand trying to end the trilogy, but kill batman? i hope he knows how much backlash hes gonna get if he goes through with it.and then the article says hes older and not in a great state. if bruce became batman when he was 25 and its 8 years later then hes only 33, how bad of a state can you been in lol? in the comics/cartoon batman doesnt stop being batman until hes like in his 60's. i just hope it turns out good

[SkyCap]

05:28 PM on 11/26/2011

30 is essentially dead in our youth-oriented society.

[OC4Obama4Pres]

03:17 AM on 12/12/2011

In the first movie Bruce Wayne is at least 27 and more like closer to 30. This is the third movie, not the second, and takes place 8 years after the second movie pushing his age closer to 40.

[Chucky Sly]

04:36 AM on 11/23/2011

The first two Nolan movies were phenomenal but these photos are disconcertingly underwhelming to me.
What's with Billy Barty playing Bane? While we're at it, why Bane? Batman's got far better in his rouge's gallery.
I'll see it because my comic fandom demands it, but my excitement is substantially tempered at this point.

[SkyCap]

05:30 PM on 11/26/2011

Don't ever look at set pics ever ever ever. Editing and camera angles can change your entire perception. That's why people get PAID to make movies.

[Chucky Sly]

11:26 PM on 11/26/2011

And that's bonafied truth. Thanks for the reminder.

[didiy]

10:31 PM on 11/22/2011

Human beings cannot pull off Super Hero costumes on film.. http://cheap-uggboots-clearance.net/ . they always look awkward and uncomforta­ble and they never get the costume right. from http://www.monclerjacketsoutletstores.net/

[OC4Obama4Pres]

03:18 AM on 12/12/2011

I simply disagree.

[OC4Obama4Pres]

03:19 AM on 12/12/2011

Iron Man was pretty freakin' awesome!!

[marred]

06:17 PM on 11/22/2011

That bat suit is starting to resemble NFL attire. btw Bane is a lame choice for a villain. All he is in the bat mythology is a henchman and nothing more. It's like casting odd job as a Bond villain.

[Alexias Lazar]

11:22 PM on 11/22/2011

He is much more than that. Much more, you must be confused from the "Batman and Robin" version of Bane. He's been done many times, portrayed as a smart and convincing threat.

[marred]

03:51 PM on 11/23/2011

No I'm not talking about those awful Joel Schumacher films. I'm talking about the original character and the one also portrayed in Batman Animated series by Bruce Timm.

[OC4Obama4Pres]

03:20 AM on 12/12/2011

Well, knights have been known to wear armor.

[apricot1991]

11:26 AM on 11/22/2011

Can wait! Can't wait! Can't wait! Already have my outfit planned out for premiere night :-) I am not ashamed to say I'm a STAN for BAT-MAN! lmao

[mc53]

10:46 AM on 11/22/2011

I'm looking forward to Christian Bale screaming at cast members and his family.

[TheLibraryOfCodex]

02:31 AM on 11/22/2011

The end of a boring trilogy


Give me "I'm Glad You're Dead....HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" anyday.

[marred]

06:18 PM on 11/22/2011

I agree but we're in a very small group :)

[OC4Obama4Pres]

03:20 AM on 12/12/2011

You sure got that one right.

[Leper]

11:12 PM on 11/21/2011

Holy Bat Breasts!

[Ponderus]

10:57 PM on 11/21/2011

It looks like the International Mr. Leather contest.

[Turukano]

10:37 PM on 11/21/2011

Shouldn't Bane be a little taller?

[Ashlee Graser]

08:54 PM on 11/25/2011

Bane should be a lot less human-like. Seems they lost some creativity along the way.

[liberalbug]

08:54 PM on 11/21/2011

Bat man films have a 98% chance of being really bad and making lots of money.

[DennyCrane]

10:21 PM on 11/21/2011

Hmm. I guess that explains why the last two were so great.

[Anne Mccormick]

10:47 PM on 11/21/2011

yes,and why it was that Heath Ledger won best supporting actor.

[TheLibraryOfCodex]

12:24 AM on 11/22/2011

It was a good performance, but if he hadn't died, he would have been nowhere near an Oscar nomination, let alone winning an award.

[Steven Fowler]

07:44 PM on 11/21/2011

I See Bat Boobs.

[jsomers36]

07:36 PM on 11/21/2011

So he's going to be a beat up, out of shape Batman? can't wait! No just kidding, I can. I guess I will have to give it a chance but with the Catwoman pics and now this badly aged out of shape Batman and Bane....Bane? really? couldn't find a better villain in all of Batman's comic adventures than Bane? Why not just have Batmite come in and change reality? I will name 10 villains that would have made a better movie....Riddler, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Clayface, Deadshot, Hugo Strange, Killer Moth, Man Bat, Red Hood, Black Mask...I have said it before and I will say it again..even though some of these live action super movies are tolerable, they still can't hold a candle to the animated movies DC has been putting out over the last few years. Human beings cannot pull off Super Hero costumes on film... they always look awkward and uncomfortable and they never get the costume right.

[Gerald Sheffield]

08:32 PM on 11/21/2011

If you don't agree then maybe you should write your own script since basically each movie is going to be a directors/ writer's interpretation of the original concept.

[DennyCrane]

10:26 PM on 11/21/2011

Oh please. Those are all lame villains. The Riddler gives clues to his crime which technically makes him an ally since he's helping the hero.

[commiepinko]

07:28 PM on 11/21/2011

these guys look like they are ready to pepper spray someone

[talos72]

07:19 PM on 11/21/2011

Sadly, the Batsuit design always gets reworked for the worse in movies. I am yet to see a Batsuit in any of the films that really nails the design. Frankly, the whole militarized, sculpted rubber design in superhero films is getting old. Some of the costumes look like bondage-ware.

Also, why is Bane so small compared to Batman?!

[lefty81]

07:36 PM on 11/21/2011

I had the same thought about the Batsuit. how unfortunate...........

[jsomers36]

07:42 PM on 11/21/2011

I totally agree with you. I can't stand that every actor to don the Batsuit absolutely refuses the whited out eye look to the mask. It looks plain ridiculous to have that big rubber head that can barely move and you can see the eyes. Every actor who has played Batman is so ego driven that they have convinced themselves that the "acting is in the eyes". I hate it. Especially the Batman costume...it has never looked right and my guess is it never will. I would rather watch Under the Red Hood again than to see another grunting Christian Bale performance.

[DennyCrane]

10:24 PM on 11/21/2011

Oh please. Do you really think the actors have a say in whether their eyes are covered up? Get real. I'd rather the actors eyes and not white eyes, which just looks ridiculous. BTW, the end of TDK had a nod to the white eyes look when he turned on his sonar.

[libwingoflibwing]

11:41 PM on 11/21/2011

They did do the white-out eyes at the end of The Dark Knight, you know.