THE DARK KNIGHT RISES reveals it’s first official photo: Tom Hardy as Bane!

As if the excitement around the fact that production has officially begun on Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, wasn’t enough, now a website for the film has been discovered. Joblo has found out that Warner Bros has launched a mysterious website for the film that includes an all black mainpage that plays chanting in the background that is being called “The Fire Rises.”  To add more mystery to it all, through Twitter and Facebook a mosaic image was put together of our first image of Tom Hardy as a Bane!  Keep reading to check it out.

The image shows what look to be more of an athletic or sports head-gear type mask, as opposed to a nylon or leather mask that was typically associated with the character.  It is a different look that seems appropriate with Nolan’s more grounded in reality take on the Batman mythology.  What are your thoughts?  What I think will be more interesting is how the character will fit into the story.  If I had to put money on it, I bet he will be the bodyguard for Thalia who will reveal herself as Marion Cotillard.  We will have to see how it all turns out.