What Happened to Hugo, The Dark Knight Rises to Feature Bane and Catwoman

After months of rumors and speculation regarding the casting and villains of the The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros Pictures announced today via press release that Anne Hathaway will be joining the cast alongside Tom Hardy and Christian Bale for the third Batman film under Christopher Nolan’s direction.  This comes as no surprise to many as news regarding Hardy’s casting along with rumors of Anne Hathaway’s have been circulating for months.  The real question many wanted answered was which two villains would be terrorizing Gotham this time around.  Today we got that answer…

BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “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.” In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “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.” Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. “The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The casting of Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy as Catwoman and Bane comes as a shock to many of us who have been following the rumors and speculation regarding this film.  For Hardy, initial speculation was that he was to be cast as Killer Croc, and more recently Hugo Strange.  As for Hathaway, reportedly there were two female roles needed to be cast, one villain and one love interest.  The villain in question was thought to be Talia Al Ghul as recent as last week, but Catwoman was always an option in the back of everyone’s mind until it came to fruition today.

There is some pretty horrorific stuff back there

While I personally am not excited about either of these characters as they have both been portrayed in earlier Batman films, there was similar resentment following the announcement of Heath Ledger’s casting as the Joker for The Dark Knight and that turned out well, to say the least.  Still, it is a bit of a let-down to know we won’t see any new villains on-screen and adapted into Nolan’s universe; personally I would have loved to see Hugo Strange, Harley Quinn, and Arkham Asylum.

Wish: Granted

What is your reaction to the casting of Anne Hathaway for The Dark Knight Rises?  Are you surprised to hear that Bane and Catwoman are the next villains in the Nolan films, how does this sit with your inner fanboy?