THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Tom Hardy Speaks)

• TOM HARDY ON BEING BANE

Total Film has been quite busy, and they managed to get a few words from Tom Hardy about his role in The Dark Knight Rises.

Tom Hardy as Bane

Hardy, who plays Bane in the Christopher Nolan-directed sequel and is also set to play the title role in Mad Max 4: Fury Road, was asked if he had any anxiety in following Ledger's Joker. "No, none at all," he said. "Brilliant actor, brilliant work – that's it. I've got a job to do. ... It's the same with Mad Max and Mel Gibson. I'm not here to engage in a competition with their talent. It's to play the character that I've been given."

“I think Bane’s f--ing cool so I’m really excited to play him," said the enthusiastic star, "It’s not the guy in Joel Schumacher’s film, but it shouldn’t disappoint fanboys."

Hardy, who worked with director Christopher Nolan on his last feature, Inception, also revealed that there was little reluctance to sign on for the upcoming film, which is said to end the modern trilogy begun with Batman Begins.

While Filming The Dark Knight Rises, Bane in full on the Left

"You’re asking me to come round the world with you in a Batman movie, playing a villain, and the only downside to it is I have to wear a mask?" he joked, "Hmmm, let me think. I’ll get back to you… No, I’m f--ing there, man! ...Any time you put something over your face, you’re going to adopt a personality and a physicality that has nothing to do with acting. It allows a performance to be free.”

Hardy, however was reluctant to share some of the finer details, but the magazine did confront him, if we will be seeing Bane take on Batman in a fight, and like in the comics if the this would end with Bane breaking Batman’s Back.

“Good lead-in," he said, "but all I can say is that Chris has a plan up his sleeve that’s not at all disappointing. And that is a definite choice that’s watertight in every respect."

Hardy can next be seen in Warrior, hitting theaters on September 9th with The Dark Knight Rises arriving on July 20th, 2012.