Imagine having to emote convincingly with half of your face covered for all but one second of your performance. That's what Tom Hardy had to do as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Using only his eyes and posture, Hardy was frequently imposing, charismatic when needed, and even heartbroken in a rare moment of weakness. Hardy made his mask an asset, not a hindrance to his performance. Bane was primarily known for one very popular comic book story arc in the 1990s (Knightfall) in which he broke Batman's back. The character had a few highlights in the years that followed, but nothing compared to his rookie year. This made him an odd choice for "the epic conclusion to The Dark Knight Legend" in the minds of fans. Tom Hardy erased all (or most) doubts by embodying the very best of the concept while fleshing out all new elements to create a complete cinematic character. Any part of Bane's comic book origin excluded from the film had no adverse impact. Hardy physically and vocally loaned Bane a sense of history. There was a wisdom born from burdened past that not only made Hardy's Bane intimidating, but also gave the character an ideological authenticity.
