Dark Knight Rises Trailer Officially Released Online [Video]

Warner Brothers officially released the full trailer to “The Dark Knight Rises” online today after much weekend anticipation.

The trailer was attached to “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” and “Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows” over the weekend, and pirated versions have been posted online constantly over the past few days by iPhone-wielding fan-boys only to be removed at the request of Warner Brothers mere hours later.

IMAX showings of “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” also boasted the added bonus of carrying the six-minute prologue to “The Dark Knight Rises” in lieu of the official trailer. The prologue treats those fortunate enough to live near an IMAX venue, or those bold enough to sit through a strained bootlegged copy on the internet, to an introduction to the film’s villain, Bane.

Bane, portrayed by Thomas Hardy (Bronson, Inception), is the villain most famous in the comic books for breaking Batman’s back.The character has been portrayed once before on film by wrestler Jeep Swenson, in the film-which-shall-not-be-named.

Though Christian Bale is fighting his own battles in the world today, his greatest battle of the coming year is against the little-known villain portrayed by the up-and-coming Hardy. Tom Hardy’s Bane has his work cut out for him. There is some concern online that he won’t be able to top Heath Ledger’s chilling and whimsical performance as The Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight”.

But Bane is a different kind of animal. Given the comic history of the character, he’s going to give Batman a run for his money mentally, as well as being the first truly dangerous physical threat Batman has faced in the Nolan-verse.

Which leads to the question that’s on everyone’s mind, but that everyone is too afraid to ask: Is Nolan going to do it? Is he going to kill Bruce Wayne? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.

As promised, here is the official trailer for your viewing pleasure:

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