THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Producer Emma Thomas On Bane, Comic Book Influences And More

Emma Thomas (wife of Christopher Nolan and producer of The Dark Knight Rises) talked to Collider recently about Bane's role in the threequel and has assured fans that while their take on the villain isn't 100% faithful to the comic book version, the source material has still played a big role in how the story came together. To read the rest of the interview, be sure to click on the link below to head on over to the site.

"Without saying too much, I think we’ve retained what works for this universe and for our world. [Bane]'s definitely recognizable. But then there are some things that we’ve changed, because I think they wouldn’t have fit into Chris Nolan’s version of the world. I think that’s one of the interesting things about Bane as a choice. We were obviously never going to revisit the Joker and you don’t want to be trying to chase that. So it’s fun to have a very different sort of villain in this and a different sort of challenge for Batman to meet, much more physical. It’s almost a more even match in some ways, you know, in a physical sense. You just don’t want to do the same thing again."

"I don’t want to sound like it’s all about brawn, because it’s not. He’s definitely a smart guy. We are definitely touching on that, there’s no doubt. I think that that’s why it’s an interesting match for Batman after the Joker, who was just purely about chaos and playing with people. Bane has a plan."

"I think that Chris and David Goyer are very mindful. It’s great for them to have that massive treasure chest, really, of the comic book storylines to draw from. Once again, as I was saying in terms of how things fit into our world, ultimately what they’re doing is completing the stories that were started in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. They’re drawing from comic book elements, undoubtedly. I can’t speak to which specific elements because that’s their thing. But it’s a mixture of both."

So, nothing particularly revealing, but no one involved with The Dark Knight Rises is willing to give too much away, meaning that the characters and plot are still shrouded in mystery for the most part. Are you happy with what we have so far learned about Christopher Nolan's take on Bane? Would you prefer a version closer to that of the comic books? Sound off with your thoughts in the usual place.

STARRING:

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine as Alfred
Gary Oldman as Commissioner Jim Gordon
Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox
Tom Hardy as Bane
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake
Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate
Josh Pence as Ra's Al Ghul

RELEASE DATE: July 20th, 2012