Warner Bros. has just issued a press release announcing Anne Hathaway has been cast in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman). Additionally, the announcement comes with news Tom Hardy (Inception) will be playing Bane.
I’m sure we’re all pretty much up on who Catwoman is, but Bane is new to me. According to IGN “Bane is infamously known as the man who broke Batman’s back. After surviving his beating at the hands of Azrael and shaking off his addiction to the muscle-enhancing drug Venom, Bane allied himself with Ra’s Al Ghul and nearly became his heir. Bane currently is living a new life after having cleansed himself in one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits.”
This is the second time Bane (pictured right) has appeared in a Batman film as he also had a role in Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin and played servant to Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy. Catwoman is a Batman regular and last appeared in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns and was played by Michelle Pfeiffer. She was played again by Halle Berry in Catwoman in 2004.
Hathaway was on the recent shortlist of names up for what is said to be two major female roles in the film — one villain and one love interest. Catwoman obviously fills the villain role, which makes me wonder if Keira Knightley, Jessica Biel, Gemma Arterton, Kate Mara and Charlotte Riley still have a shot at yet another undisclosed role. All indication, however, is Selina Kyle will play both love interest and villain.
Nolan was quoted in the release saying, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”
As someone that isn’t a huge fan of Anne Hathaway the only thing that keeps me from being upset at this bit of casting is the fact I think Hathaway’s best performance is still her role in Get Smart. I know that sounds blasphemous as everyone loves her in everything she does, but the fact my favorite performance of hers was in something of an action film where she played a strong female character, seemed more comfortable in her skin and wasn’t trying so hard to act gives me confidence this is a good decision albeit a rather boring one.
The Dark Knight Rises is currently set to hit theaters on July 20 with shooting expected to take place in London and Los Angeles in May.
