The risky choice of the actor's Bane voice paid off, becoming a defining element in one of the most successful superhero movies ever.
In the realm of superhero movies, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” holds a prominent place as a cinematic masterpiece that marked Christian Bale’s final portrayal of Batman. However, the film also introduced the enigmatic and menacing masked villain, Bane, portrayed by the talented Tom Hardy.
A decade later, Bane remains an iconic character due to his unforgettable, albeit controversial, voice. Recently, Hardy shed light on the creative process behind Bane’s distinctive voice and how he had warned Nolan that it could potentially be a disaster.
According to Screen Rant, Hardy had to re-dub his lines during a teaser sequence because test audiences found his first take on Bane incoherent. Despite the difficulties, Hardy had a good purpose for going outside his comfort zone.
In one of his segments with Wired, Hardy spoke up about the challenging process of creating Bane’s voice and addressed some of the most often-asked questions about him online. Hardy admitted that he was motivated by a desire to put an end to fan qualms about a white actor portraying a character with Latino ancestry.
To find inspiration for Bane’s voice, Hardy turned to Bartley Gorman, a Welsh-Irish boxer known for his bare-knuckle fighting prowess. Gorman once expressed his mindset in the ring: “[Gorman was] a bare-knuckle fighter and a boxer.”
“And he said [doing a Bane-like voice], ‘When I get into a ring with a man, I want to wipe him off the face of the Earth, and he wants to kill me.’ And I was like, ‘This is great.’” Intrigued by this intensity, Hardy believed he had discovered the perfect voice for Bane.
He gave Nolan a choice between the conventional, Darth Vader-like villain voice and the unorthodox, Gorman-inspired voice, which recognized the character’s background and origins. Hardy warned that the latter could cause people to chuckle or feel sorrow.
In the end, Nolan made the choice, and he went in a riskier direction. According to Hardy’s memory, they improved the voice by making it more flowing, and ultimately, fans came to adore it.
Although Hardy humorously remarked that people loved Bane’s voice, it is no secret that many fans were displeased with the character’s manner of speaking in the film. They may have preferred a more straightforward villainous voice akin to Darth Vader. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Bane’s voice left an indelible mark on audiences’ memories.
In addition to his vocal transformation, Hardy underwent a remarkable physical metamorphosis for the role of Bane. Months of intensive training in the gym were complemented by a less conventional aspect of preparation—consuming copious amounts of pizza. Hardy attributed his muscular appearance to the magic of movie-making, explaining that strategic lighting and several months of dedicated training, combined with indulging in pizza, were responsible for his imposing physique.
During a lighthearted segment of BBC Radio 1’s “Kids Ask” web series, a young journalist inquired about Hardy’s impressive muscles. The actor admitted to hitting the gym but humorously blamed his “pizza diet” for giving him a slightly heavier appearance in the film.
“If you really study the photographs [of Bane], I was really overweight, actually. I ate a lot, and I wasn’t much heavier than I am now, but I just ate more pizza. They shoot from low to make you look big,” he disclosed. “That’s the magic of lighting and three or four months of lifting and training and eating lots of pizza. It wasn’t great for my heart. The point was to look as big as possible.”
A deeper understanding of the creative process behind Bane’s voice and physicality emerges through Hardy’s revelations. The risks taken, the considerations of character authenticity, and the dedication to crafting a memorable portrayal all contribute to the nuanced tapestry “The Dark Knight Rises.” Although opinions may differ on the execution, there is no denying the lasting impact of Bane’s voice and the commitment of the actor behind the mask.
