Is There a Language Barrier for Batman Villain Bane?
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Jared Wickerham/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Although anticipation for Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, hit a fever pitch over the weekend with the official release of the movie’s full trailer, one criticism seems to be rising: people are having a hard time understanding the movie’s villain.
Bane is a fearsome foe for Christian Bale’s Batman, but it’s his breath mask that’s apparently striking fear into the hearts of some Warner Bros. execs. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans are blogging that British Bane actor Tom Hardy can hardly be heard behind Bane’s breath mask, through which he inhales a strength-giving gas.
While Bane speaks a single line in the trailer, the issue was more apparent during the dialog-heavy six minute prologue some fans saw before Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in IMAX last week. One source close to the movie is reportedly “scared to death” about the situation, the trade notes, and worried that Nolan has enough pull at the studio that execs can’t force him to make any changes. He might tweak the sound mix somewhat, but do nothing radical to Bane’s voice, which is also further muddled by the actor’s — and character’s — accent.
“Chris…doesn’t dumb things down,” an executive tells the trade.
The Dark Knight Rises opens in the summer of 2012.
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