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Missed the "Dark Knight Rises" prologue when it leaked online last night? Don't worry.
In addition to the prologue itself, still slated to play in select IMAX theaters ahead of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," the newest trailer for the last Batman movie has leaked early, and countless interviews with director Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale and Tom Hardy provide more than enough information to tide over fans who missed the prologue yesterday.
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Scroll down to the end of the article to watch the newest trailer for the movie and a transcript and basic rundown of the leaked "Dark Knight Rises" prologue.
In the bootleg video, butler Alfred promises Bruce Wayne that he will always protect him, Catwoman finally gets some screen time as Anne Hathaway warns Wayne about an upcoming threat, and new villain Bane lets loose on Gotham City.
Want more teasers, spoilers and insight into the last Batman movie? Read through for more information on Bane's villainy versus the Joker's, why Nolan chose to skip eight years ahead, and whether or not Bale's Batman will suffer a (literally) crippling blow.
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Will Bane Kill Batman?
Christopher Nolan has confirmed that "The Dark Knight Rises" will be the last film in his Batman trilogy, and Christian Bale told reporters that the film will be the last time he dons the Batman cowl.
As both the leaked prologue and the new trailer show a Batman mask crashing to the ground and posters for the film tout the ominous tag line, "The legend ends," some fans are wondering whether the movie will take that conclusion one step further and do the unthinkable: actually killing off the caped crusader.
As the image of Bane dropping a shattered Batman mask sweeps the Internet, however, connoisseurs of the Batman franchise have another, somewhat likelier theory: that Tom Hardy's Bane, like his comic book counterpart, may deal the Dark Knight a (literally) crippling blow, leaving the way open for Bale's Batman to find a replacement.
In a recent interview, Bale hinted at a reckoning to come for Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, saying the tensions between the man and the mask would come to a boiling-point in the last movie.
"Bruce Wayne is absolutely sincere as Bruce Wayne, as Batman is utterly sincere. But Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a pure facade, it's a lie he has, somehow, to control one side of your soul that's not really under control," Bale said. "It's time for Bruce Wayne to face the pain, that has always stirred his life."
Whether or not the newest Batman villain will break the Dark Knight's spine as he does in the comics is up for debate, but if Bane's appearance and dialogue is any indication ("Now's not the time for fear. That comes later!"), a broken Bale could very well show up on the IMAX screen.
Bane as 'Classic Movie Monster': The Dark Knight's New Villain
The "Dark Knight Rises" prologue delivered many of the same themes and rhythms of "The Dark Knight" preview three years ago: masks and identity, a double-cross and and a villain with a talent for great exit strategies.
