The Dark Knight Rises: Stories of the New Character Debuts

“The Dark Knight Rises” has become arguably the most anticipated movie of the summer, and likely of the year as a whole. Many avid Batman fans are eager to see the brooding superhero come to his city’s rescue once again. However, film trailers indicate that while the storyline picks up shortly after where the last film left off, several important characters will be making their debut appearances in this film.

The most significant addition to this film’s cast is undoubtedly Batman’s newest nemesis, Bane, played by Tom Hardy. His character offers Batman his most compelling challenge yet. Unlike Batman’s previous opponents, Bane is physically far superior to him. It would seem obvious from the character’s physique that he is a person of immense strength; however, he also presents Batman with a significant mental challenge. According to his comic book storyline, Bane was born in a fictional South American prison, where he grew up reading books to improve his intelligence in addition to sculpting his tremendous musculature.

As Bane grew, he was apparently taught by the League of Shadows. However, he was ultimately rejected by them, which may explain his motives for acquiring a following of his own in “The Dark Knight Rises.” One of the most intimidating aspects of Bane’s character is undoubtedly his trademark mask. For Christopher Nolan’s version, it has been confirmed that the mask actually provides Bane with a constant flow of anesthetics. These anesthetics are apparently necessary to manage his pain from some injury he suffered in his past. Nolan has made it clear that Bane’s character sets out in this film with the mission of a terrorist. He ultimately wishes to see Gotham City’s complete destruction, and it appears that Batman may pose the only true obstacle to his plan.

The most aesthetically pleasing of these new characters is sure to be Selina Kyle, who is played by the beautiful Anne Hathaway. Selina Kyle is better known as the high-stakes burglar Catwoman. Her first appearance in the Batman comics dates back to the 1940s. In these comics she was actually referred to as “The Cat,” and throughout them she entertained a complex romantic relationship with Batman. Some of Catwoman’s unique equipment includes her sharp-bladed high-heeled boots and infrared goggles. In “The Dark Knight Rises,” Selina Kyle stays true to her thieving nature, which leads her to target Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately for Catwoman, she does not know that Wayne wears a mask of his own. It appears that in this film, as in some of the original comic book story arcs, Catwoman chooses to come to the aid of Batman and help him defeat his new nemesis.

While these characters offer a nostalgic look at the comics from which this massive trilogy gets its roots, Christopher Nolan has added some unique characters of his own to the Batman universe. The most significant of these is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, John Blake. Levitt’s character is a young and ambitious police officer that has been recently promoted by Commissioner Gordon. Blake’s attitude comprises an idealism that is supposedly reminiscent of Batman before his experiences fighting crime in the city hardened him and made him more cynical. Some fans wonder if Blake will prove to be a more important character than the promotional material for the movie has yet revealed.

Of course, these characters only brush the surface of the all-star cast found in “The Dark Knight Rises.” It seems inevitable that the film will exceed its fans’ high expectations. Regardless of one’s familiarity with the Batman universe, Nolan’s integration of these new characters is sure to provide a fantastic story for the fallen hero’s return on July 20th.

Author Bio:

Mahal Kapoor is a member of a network of bloggers who write about travel and lifestyle on behalf of companies such as American Express. The new travel card from American Express, The Platinum Travel Credit Card , provides fantastic travel rewards.