Batman Casting - Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy

 Well, that settles that, then. Warner Bros. has just announced that Anne Hathaway has won the race to star in The Dark Knight Rises... as Selina Kyle. Also known as Catwoman. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story," said director Christopher Nolan in a press release.


And, in the same release, WB and Christopher Nolan confirmed that the role Tom Hardy will play in the eagerly-awaited Batman threequel is Bane, the muscle-bound super-steroidal freak who, in the comics, once broke Batman's back. “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.”


This represents a flood of information for a Christopher Nolan Bat-movie, and gives us plenty to chew on. We can't wait to see Nolan's take on the twisted relationship between Batman and the capricious Cat - and Hathaway certainly has the chops, and the curves, to fill out the catsuit. Intriguingly, Catwoman isn't mentioned in the WB press release, but with Nolan openly admitting that this is the end of his Bat-tale, it's hard to imagine that Kyle won't become Catwoman at some point in the film.


Still, heck of a year for Hathaway, what with this and her gig hosting the Oscars...


Bane is more interesting. Once again, Nolan is going down the multiple villains route - as he did with Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul in Batman Begins, and The Joker and Two-Face in The Dark Knight. But we're intrigued by what he and the magnificent Hardy will bring to the role of Bane, a character who could be laughable in the wrong hands (see Batman & Robin for proof). Will this Bane be more cerebral than the grunting hulk of Schumacherville? Or will he represent the first very real physical threat to Christian Bale's Bat in the trilogy?


Update: As some have pointed out, Bane in the comics is far from a grunting hulk, but a schemer who just happens to have more muscles than your average issue of Men's Health. So, when it comes to battling The Bat, he could have the perfect combination of brains and brawn...


So, what do you think? Happy with these choices? Has the Caped Crusader got enough on his plate with Catwoman and Bane to contend with, or does Nolan have another villainous surprise up his sleeve?
The Dark Knight Rises is out on July 20, 2012.


Chris Hewitt