The first legitimate photo from The Dark Knight Rises has been released. The above shows Tom Hardy as the villain… Bane.  Hardy (Inception) has been one of my favorite actors since he played “Handsome Bob” in RockNRolla (2008) a few years back, and I am glad that Christopher Nolan has decided to add him to his list of “actors I like to use in my movies.”

Bane’s storyline in The Dark Knight Rises is still being kept under wraps, and since this is Nolan, expect it to stay a mystery until the first trailer is released.  The picture is very creepy… skeleton hand covering his mouth… shaved head… etc.,  and is very similar to the promo shot of Heath Ledger’s Joker that was released nearly a year before The Dark Knight (2008) opened. If anything, at least Batman fans can be sure Bane won’t be the swollen, steroid packing moron portrayed in Batman and Robin (1997).

A link to the film’s website was released along with the photo. The website is pretty bare for now, but it contains a short soundtrack that seems to fit the tone of Nolan’s series. After listening, I can say that I am definitely excited to see what Nolan will be releasing next.

You guys think Hardy can live up to Ledger’s performance as the Joker?