We’re still a little more than a year away from seeing Robert Pattinson protect Gotham from a number of villains in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, but it seems Bane, the man who broke the bat, might be heading to a future sequel.
Bane V Wayne
Fans have seen numerous versions of Bane over the years, with different movies, shows and games all adding their own spin on his backstory after being brought up in a prison on Santa Prisca. Like many fans already know, he engages in a war against the Dark Knight, trying to push him to the edge. In one of the most iconic scenes in comic book history taking place in Batman #497, Bane broke the Batman over his knee. We’ve only properly witnessed the moment in live-action back in 2012, with Tom Hardy delivering a masterfully modern take on Bane. Let’s hope the next version gives the villain a little more breathing room. We also saw Shane West step into the role on TV in Gotham’s final season. Although he never gets to hulk out on venom, he does don a respirator similar to Hardy.
Obviously fans have seen Bane in all of his leotard-wearing glory back in Batman and Robin, but that version was just mere muscle rather than a criminal mastermind. But at least we got to see what a venom dose looked like, before Batgirl and Robin defeated him anyway. Most recently, a comical version of the villain won over fans in the animated Harley Quinn series. He might be a parody of Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises, but he also wears a comic accurate look with the white and red mask design. Safe to say he’s not the tactical genius comic readers are used to, instead he’s the butt of some brilliant jokes from the Harley Quinn writers. However, a potential project for the villain would’ve seen a much more serious vision on the big screen.
Post-Joker
After the surprise success of Joaquin Phoenix’s award-winning Joker, Heroic Hollywood has exclusively learned that there was going to be an attempt to pitch a Bane stand-alone film to DC executives. In a similar way to the Todd Phillips film, it could have offered filmmakers the chance to explore the villain’s psyche with a character study, although hopefully with a little more brawling. Much like Joker avoided leaning on the Cape and Cowl too much, it’s probable that Bane’s solo film wouldn’t feature the iconic hero. However, a potential pitch for the film would have loosely used an iconic story from the comics to introduce Bane to the DC Universe.
To find out which classic tale the film would have adapted and why this means Bane could go up against Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel, watch our latest video!
A New Bane
A great example of how Bane could be portrayed in a future sequel is in Arkham Origins. The game sees the villain already out of Santa Prisca and searching for a way to cure his Venom addiction while also pursuing Batman to vanquish the Bat figure from his nightmares. He even deduced Bruce’s identity before using a new batch of Venom called TN-1, which could be used without a storage tank. It proves to be a crucial mistake, as the new serum caused severe memory loss and Bane quickly forgot Batman’s true identity. The Arkham series proved there’s plenty of interesting ways to develop these characters in new fascinating ways… Let’s hope Bane returns if that elusive Arkham Knight sequel ever materializes!
Casting
But now comes the all-important question – who should don the mask to hunt Batman through Gotham’s urban jungle? DC fans have long wished to see Dave Bautista in the role, referring back to his physique and performances in films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049 and Spectre to prove that he could manage a primary role. We’ve seen plenty of designs over the years showing Bautista in the iconic costume, so it would be great to see him let loose against the Bat. The star even told fans on Twitter that he’d love to accept the challenge of the role.
If director Matt Reeves is looking for someone who can duel Robert Pattinson in a mental game as well as a physical challenge, perhaps Javier Bardem would be a good choice for the DC sequel. His work in Skyfall as Bond-villain Raoul Silva proves just how well he can deliver a criminal mastermind with a grudge. And his intimidating performance as hitman Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men just shows off the intensity he could bring to the role.
Tell us in the comments if you want to see Bane in The Batman sequel or if you think he should have his own stand-alone film, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more great content in the future!
Plot details for The Batman are under wraps but the project will be centered on Pattinson as a younger Caped Crusader, chronicling Batman during his formative years as Gotham City’s protector. The Batman will also feature the hero making use of his detective skills more than what we’ve seen before in previous iterations of the character. The film is also expected to be the first installment to a new trilogy with Pattinson as Batman. The star recently revealed he learned he had been cast as the new Batman on the first day of shooting for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Directed by Matt Reeves from a script he co-wrote with Mattson Tomlin, the film stars Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, with Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.
The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 1, 2021. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding Robert Pattinson’s The Batman as we learn it!
