Much has been said about Tom Hardy's version of Bane based solely on some press images and a trailer. The main villain taking on Batman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy fills the Bane costume and mouthpiece out well, although complaints have persisted about his muffled voice. The actor recently talked to Entertainment Weekly about that and other topics, including Nolan's apprehension about broaching the subject of the mask.

“I think he worried it would be something I might not consider because wearing a mask might damage my career or something," Hardy said. "He thought I’d be worried that the audience couldn’t see my beautiful face. Like I care. It’s Chris Nolan! I would wear a paper bag over my head for that man.”

On the subject of the voice itself, Hardy explained the thinking that went into creating it, which included the character's Caribbean roots in the comics and the mouthpiece involved. “There were two doors we could walk through,” Hardy said. “We could play a very straightforward villain or we could go through this very quirky door, which is totally justified by the text but may seem very, very stupid. It’s a risk, because we could be laughed at—or it could be very fresh and exciting. The audience mustn’t be too concerned about the mumbly voice. As the film progresses, I think you’ll be able to tune to its setting.”

Bane's actual reasons for attacking Batman and Gotham City will most likely remain a secret until the film's July 20 release, but Hardy did compare Bane's motivation to that of the Joker's. “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," he said. "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.”

The Dark Knight Rises also stars Christian Bale as Batman, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.