Bane's voice has been an issue for "The Dark Knight Rises" since footage from the coming blockbuster debuted in front of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" last year.
"Just saw 'The Dark Knight Rises' prologue," wrote Variety reporter Jeff Sneider on Twitter last December. "It was great but main criticism will be that it's tough to understand Bane through the mask."
That sentiment was echoed by many who saw the "Dark Knight Rises" IMAX prologue. At the time, Warner Bros. said nothing was being done to correct the Bane audio issue, but in new footage screened at CinemaCon on Tuesday, Bane's voice sounded entirely different.
"Bane's voice was much more clear in a new scene shown Tuesday," noted THR.
Added Cinemablend's Eric Eisenberg: "I have some terrific news: I understood every word that Bane said. It should be noted that the theater I was in featured some of the most advanced technology in the projection industry, so I don’t know if they changed the audio or if it was just the presentation, but it did raise my confidence in that aspect of the film."
Bane's voice became a hot-button topic in December and January when Warner Bros. screened Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Rises" prologue in IMAX theaters. Bane's incomprehensible speech spawned a fake Twitter account and even a parody on "Conan."
Whether or not the footage from that sequence is easier to understand remains to be seen. Regardless, as Tom Hardy (who plays Bane in the film) said in a recent interview with EW, Bane's voice is an acquired taste.
"The audience mustn’t be too concerned about the mumbly voice,” Hardy said. “As the film progresses, I think you’ll be able to tune to its setting.”
"The Dark Knight Rises" arrives in theaters on July 20. The film will have its third trailer attached to "Marvel's The Avengers" starting on May 4.
For more on "The Dark Knight Rises" at CinemaCon, head over to THR.
