Batman remains one of the most popular characters in comic book history, with over 80 years’ worth of history — and now, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will encompass all of that history. Revealed at this year’s Gamescon, Legacy of the Dark Knight will feature influences from every piece of Batman media, whether it’s Robert Pattinson‘s performance as the Caped Crusader or the gameplay mechanics from the Batman: Arkham games (albeit filtered through a Lego prism.) Legacy of the Dark Knight also features Matt Berry voicing Bane, which is fitting given the What We Do in the Shadows alum has the deep voice necessary to bring the hulking villain to life. Yet Berry’s casting also highlights how most Batman media hasn’t been able to take Bane seriously.
It’s safe to say that whenever Bane shows up in a Batman-themed piece of media, most of the focus will be on the super-strength he gets from the steroid known as Venom. It also means he’ll usually be portrayed as a dumb brute; the biggest example of this is in Batman and Robin where Bane was more or less reduced to being a bodyguard for Uma Thurman‘s Poison Ivy. The Dark Knight Rises would unintentionally deliver a new comedic angle to approach Bane due to Tom Hardy‘s portrayal. Hardy’s voice sounds oddly filtered and high-pitched throughout the run of The Dark Knight Rises, and despite his explanation that he drew inspiration from boxer Bartley Gorman, the damage was done as future Batman-based shows and movies — especially Harley Quinn, which often presents Bane as the butt of many, many jokes. “We played with it, made it a bit more fluid, and now people laugh at it,” Hardy lamented.
Despite Bane’s voice being mocked, Harley Quinn also managed to give depth to Bane, especially when he went on a pasta-making tour in the spinoff series Kite Man: Hell Yeah! James Adomian has a gift for comedic timing, not to mention the fact that his Bane impression is genuinely hilarious, and it’s a take that Matt Berry should lean into. Most of the Lego games often lean into comedic takes on pop culture, and the trailer for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight highlights that when Bane delivers his infamous speech about being “Gotham’s reckoning”…then steps on a Lego, and starts howling with pain. If Berry keeps up that same energy throughout, the comedic portrayal of Bane can swing all the way from mockery to genuine comedy.
Bane Has An Absolutely Terrifying Comics History
When Bane first appeared in the “Knightfall” comics, he was no joke. He was an absolutely terrifying foe who had the brains to match his brawn, having taken over the island prison of Santa Prisca where he was raised and dedicating himself to wearing Batman down mentally and physically. Not only did Bane let loose every inmate in Arkham Asylum to keep Batman running ragged, but when the two finally met, Bane broke the Dark Knight’s back and threw him off the top of a building! The Dark Knight Rises replicates this moment, and spends its time showcasing just how curnning and deadly Bane is, which makes it a shame that Bane is only remembered for his funny voice. Yet there could be redemption on the horizon, since Captain America: Brave New World screenwriter Matthew Orton‘s working on a film with Bane and Deathstroke as the protagonists. Hopefully, Matt Berry throws in a little menace along with the comedic side of his performance.
