After matching wits with Scarecrow, Ra’s Al Ghul and the Joker, will Batman survive his encounter with Bane? (Poster property of Warner Bros., DC Entertainment and Legendary Pictures.)
By: Jacob Elyachar
One of the best film franchises of the 2000s will come to an end on Friday when Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is released worldwide. This final chapter takes place eight years after the Dark Knight where Gotham City is at piece. Unfortunately, that tranquility will not last as Bane, a terrorist comes to Gotham to stir up trouble and tackle the Dark Knight.
So who are the major players that are back for the third go around and who’s new in the overcrowded map of Gotham City? Read on to find out…
Batman (Bruce Wayne): The Caped Crusader may have saved Gotham from Ra’s Al Ghul and the Scarecrow in Batman Begins, but his inability to save Harvey Dent’s soul and his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes, from the Joker in the Dark Knight forced him to go into exile. Fast-forward eight years later, the city is a peace but will the Dark Knight be forced to come out of retirement when Catwoman and Bane threaten the city? Christian Bale will portray the Dark Knight for one final time.
Alfred: The loyal father figure continues to look after Bruce in his crime-fighting efforts. But will this new threat and Wayne’s return to the cowl cause their close-knit relationship to deteriorate? Michael Caine will once again portray the butler in this film.
James Gordon: Batman’s only ally in the Gotham City Police Department is still leading the squad to his capture after Batman “murdered” Harvey Dent/Two-Face at the end of The Dark Knight. However, will Gordon be forced to call off the manhunt for him to save Gotham from Bane? Oscar-nominated actor Gary Oldman will play the Commissioner again.
Lucius Fox: Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman returns to portray Wayne Enterprises’ CEO and Batman’s armorer. He will be supplying Bruce with new weapons to tackle the forces of evil.
John Blake: One of the new Gotham City residents is officer John Blake. According to the Dark Knight Rises press materials, Blake represents the idealism that both Gordon and Wayne once held before they lost their war on crime. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will portray the young cop.
Miranda Tate/”Talia al Ghul:” Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard will portray a Wayne Enterprises board member, who strongly recommends to Bruce to end his exile and join the public again. However, dozens of comic book fansites have predicted that Cotillard will play the villainous Talia al Ghul, the daughter of the late international crime lord, Ra’s al Ghul, the film’s first villain, despite Cotillard saying that she is portraying an original character.
Bane: The main antagonist of the film is the international terrorist known as Bane. He has come to Gotham to challenge Batman for control of the city. Bane’s portrayer: Tom Hardy stated that he gained 30 lbs. of muscle for the role.
Catwoman: Anne Hathaway will make her debut to the Batman mythos as Selina Kyle, also known as the infamous cat burglar Catwoman. She arrives in Gotham City to warn Bruce about Bane’s pending arrival and might or might not assist Bane in creating the chaos to bring Gotham to its knees.
To learn more about the film, head to its Website: http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/
Is Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) friend or foe or both in “The Dark Knight Rises?” (Poster property of Warner Bros., DC Entertainment and Legendary Pictures).
