Though he'll next appear on the big screen in the Valentine's Day release of This Means War, Tom Hardy fans are already anxious for his big summer role. That's when he'll be donning the face mask and going up against Christian Bale's Batman in one of the year's most anticipated releases, The Dark Knight Rises. The UKPA managed to get a few words in with Hardy about taking on the iconic comic book villain, Bane.

"I didn't get into a dark place at all," he said of balancing Bane with his own personality. "A lot of dark characters are easy to have distance from, it's something I feel comfortable with, I suppose."

Less comfortable for the actor, however, is the mask that Bane wears throughout the film.

"Bane's mask is tight, actually," Hardy admits. "I got used to it, but you get used to anything really, in time."

Though the specific story reason for the headgear is still unknown, all should be revealed when The Dark Knight Rises hits regular and IMAX theaters on July 20th.