Tom Hardy Explains How He Convinced Christopher Nolan on His Unique Bane Voice for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
When The Dark Knight Rises hit theaters in 2012, one of the most talked about elements of the film was Tom Hardy’s unforgettable performance as Bane.
Beyond the physical transformation, it was that strange, commanding, and instantly recognizable voice that left audiences divided yet fascinated. Now, an older interview is resurfacing and shedding light on exactly how Hardy came up with the character’s unique sound, and how he convinced Christopher Nolan to run with it.
In a 2021 Wired interview that’s making the rounds again, Hardy broke down his thought process and revealed the unlikely source of inspiration.
"That was actually a really cool choice that Chris made, Chris Nolan. Bane quintessentially is Latinx of origin of a character, and I am not.
“So I looked at the concept of Latin and found a character, a man called Bartley Gorman, who's a Romani… and a bareknuckle fighter and a boxer."
Hardy then demonstrated that Gorman spoke in a voice very alike to his Bane. The actor recalled pitching two very different options to Nolan.
"I was like, 'This is great.' I showed Chris, I said, 'Chris, we can either go down a sort of arch Darth Vader kind of route, straight, neutral-toned villain voice. Or we could try this, and this I've been thinking of, just in case, we've got to consider the roots and origins of Bane.
“But we could get laughed out the park with it, it might be something that we regret, but it's your choice ultimately.' [He said] 'No, I think we'll go with it.' And that was that. We played with it, made it a bit more fluid, and now people laugh at it."
At the time of release, fans were split. Some found Bane’s voice strange or even distracting, while others felt it added a chilling, otherworldly quality to the villain. But more than a decade later, Hardy’s choice has cemented itself as part of the character’s legacy.
Whether people are quoting lines in parody or remembering Bane as one of the most unique Batman villains on screen, Hardy’s decision and Nolan’s trust helped create a performance that continues to resonate.