With state and local governments requiring people to wear masks as a result of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the sales of Bane masks have skyrocketed, with the version Tom Hardy wore in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises being the most popular option.
Many costume websites are sold out of their plastic Bane masks -- which are not approved by medical experts -- and have been since early this month. David DeJac, a spokesman for Costume.com, commented on the surge to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, "The adult mask," he says, "had quite a sales spike in April and early May, which is unusual for this time of year."
DeJac also noted "We have had an unusual increase in sales and searches for masks, especially for this time of year. The extra activity seems to be across the board of mask categories, rather than overwhelming consistency in any one area, probably since any searches using the word 'mask' are showing up much more frequently than normal." Bane is currently among the most popular search terms on the website.
Etsy has also been a popular market, where many are selling Bane inspired cloth masks. However, a disclaimer on Etsy warns that they cannot and should not be considered medical-grade items.
Since his debut in 1993, Bane has been a staple villain in the Batman universe. Known to many as the man who broke the bat, he has appeared in a variety of media, having most recently been portrayed by Shane West in Gotham and James Adomian in DC Universe's Harley Quinn.