The Dark Knight Rises: Bane and NEW TRAILER

...until the reboot.

UPDATE: Check out this article to get an in-depth look at the third trailer!

With the flurry of Avengers news and updates, very little has been said about arguably the most anticipated film of the summer. This will-be blockbuster is obviously Chris Nolan's third and final installment of his acclaimed Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises. While The Dark Knight was on a full out viral marketing campaign, its successor's internet presence has been remarkably quiet. There has been some chatter about the announcement that a new trailer (the third) will be attached to The Avengers, but other than that, there hasn't been a whole lot of buzz concerning The Dark Knight Rises.

Bane breaks Frat Boys.

After The Dark Knight was released, people were already putting its sequel on their "Most Anticipated" lists. Regardless of the slow news days for Batman fans, this has not changed. I definitely expect that The Dark Knight Rises will undoubtedly release a viral marketing campaign soon (most likely when the trailer is released, or perhaps the trailer will launch it...). Unfortunately, 42 Entertainment is NOT going to be involved in the internet blast. It's a shame too because they did an amazing job with The Dark Knight and Pirates of the Caribbean: Whatever. 

Oh well. I will only have to assume that Mr. Nolan and the big wigs at Warner Bros. have something pretty sweet in store for us. Although, I do have the secret, nagging fear that The Dark Knight Rises won't really have much of a viral campaign, instead sitting back and like a frat boy saying, "What. What ya going to do? NOTHING! THAT'S RIGHT! NOTHING! 'Cause ya gonna watch my movie no matter what! SUCK IT!"

In the meantime, there is still much to be covered in The Dark Knight Rises. Just because there isn't much to talk about now, doesn't mean that there never has been. Au contraire mes amis. There is much to be covered!

For now, we will explore the vast network of characters involved in the threequel. A bit of a warning, there will be some spoilers, soooooo... Ye Be Warned.

Before we do this though... CHECK OUT THE LATEST TDKR TRAILER!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

First off, let's cover the usual suspects. Returning cast members include Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Cane, and Gary Oldman. Each will reprise their respective roles, as per usual. So... that's... kind of boring. However, there are an incredible number of new members that will undoubtedly get fans excited. Also, many of the new characters do not have a full explanation of who exactly their characters are. Will they be friends of the Caped Crusader? Or perhaps they have thrown their hat in with the breaker of the Bat himself, Bane...

Speaking of Bane, this will mark the characters second appearance in a Batman flick. However, the first one was quite forgettable, or rather, everyone is still trying to forget that whole movie... Anyway, Tom Hardy's Bane coupled with Nolan's skilled hand should equate to be a deadly force to be reckoned with.

Early views of Bane have reinforced these thoughts. Seriously, the dude is terrifying. I totally take back my skepticism when Bane and Catwoman were officially announced. It's also good to see that Hardy isn't intimidated about stepping in to a franchise that featured one of the best villainous portrayals of all time, Heath Ledger's Joker. In an interview, Hardy explains that the villains are two totally different characters, physically and philosophically:

"The Joker didn't care. He just wanted to see the world burn, and he was a master of chaos and destruction, unscrupulous and crazy. Bane is not that guy. There is a very meticulous and calculated way about Bane. There is a huge orchestration of organization to his ambition. He is also a physical threat to Batman. There is nothing vague about Bane. No jokes. He's a very clean, clear villain."

Bro, you have awesome eyes.

Not only did he use the word "unscrupulous", but Hardy also differentiated the two villains quite nicely. In one corner, you have The Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime, crazed, demonic, random, and "unscrupulous". In the other corner, you have Bane. Cold. Calculating. Animalistic, yet brooding. The exact opposite of what you look for in a girlfriend... Poor Batman, he gets to deal with both. Well, thankfully not in one movie. 

Not only is Bane a cunning and intuitive mad man, but he also presents a physical threat to Batman. Finally. While getting psychologically tortured by The Joker, Bats never really faced a physical challenge, as he silently beat every mindless henchman to a pulpy mess. Now, step in Bane, "Gotham's Reckoning."

Yeah, you are.

(Rumored to be) trained by Ra's al Ghul himself, Bane will physically torment The Dark Knight, and eventually BREAK HIM. This is the part I'm looking forward to the most. While Batman becomes increasingly worn down by the released madmen of Arkham, along with being a social outcast, Bane lies and waits. Eventually, an exhausted Batman has to face the menace, and Bane beats Batman to a pulp. Or at least... that's what happens in the comics.

Come at me Bro!

I assume Nolan's film will feature something similar because in the second trailer, Bruce Wayne is seen hobbling around, presumably broken by the juggernaut (no... not THIS Juggernaut. Le sigh). In a chilling dialogue between Batman and Bane, the latter tells Bats, "When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die." Yikes. Bane wants The Caped Crusader dead, unlike The Joker, just not yet. He wants to destroy Batman's legacy, as well. Bane wants to see Batman suffer. And when Batman has nothing left, Bane will mercifully end Bats's life. Well, that's the plan at least.

Near the end of the second trailer, Batman is seen reeling away from an oncoming Bane. He's physically beaten up, and he has nowhere to turn. Obviously, new territory for The Dark Knight. In the prologue footage (attached to the Mission Impossible IV film, aka the only reason to see that movie...), Bane menaces hapless CIA agents with the help of his minions. Bane's plan plays out in the six minutes, and as he rappels away, he tells a human sacrifice: "The Fire Rises". Chilling indeed.

To say the least, I am extremely excited for Hardy portrayal as Bane. Even though many people have complained that they could hardly understand what Bane was saying (which have even spawned a Twitter account...), take the early whining with a grain of salt. Regardless of the muffled voice, Bane's presence on screen is ridiculously intimidating.

Bane attacks the theaters and terrorizes Batman July 20 of 2012.

Be sure to stay tuned for more posts on the characters of The Dark Knight Rises, including Catwoman, the multitude of new characters (Juno Temple, JGL, etc.), and Marion Cotillard's mysterious character... Plus, you know we're going analyze the newest trailer! (see before the jump)