Another DC Villain Allegedly Almost Got A Joker-Style Standalone Film

Tom Hardy as Bane

Years ago, it seemed like it was important to the studio executives shaping the DCEU to catch up to, and mirror, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Using movies like Suicide Squad and a reconfigured Justice League, Warner Bros. tried to build a connected universe. It didn’t work. Now, however, they are on a different path, where filmmakers can try riskier projects like Joker. And the success of that film almost led to a Bane project.

So reports Heroic Hollywood, who states in a video that we will post below that the DC villain of Bane was considered for a Joker-type standalone film. Such a drama would allow a director to possibly explore the complicated sides of the criminal mastermind in ways he hasn’t been seen before. The site doesn’t have that much to go on, stating that there was going to be an attempt to pitch a Bane movie, but stopping short of giving away WHO was going to pitch it, or how far along into their own development we might have been.

Bane certainly does warrant further exploration. The finest interpretation that we have seen for Bane in live-action has to go to Tom Hardy and Christopher Nolan, who delved into the villains connection to the League of Shadows in the 2012 sequel The Dark Knight Rises. That movie also shoehorned in what is arguably Bane’s most famous storyline, Knightfall, when he breaks Batman’s back, crippling the hero for an extended period of time.

But Bane can be much more than the hulking bruiser he’s often portrayed as. While brute strength needs to be a component to the villain, he’s also exceptionally intelligent, matching wits with Batman by being both cunning and tactical in ways Bruce Wayne often does not expect. But then, yes, there’s also the enhanced physicality that makes Bane look like a WWE superstar.

That persona was highlighted when Joel Schumacher brought Bane to the big screen in the laughable Batman & Robin.

But a Joker-style solo movie for Bane could shine, well, more darkness on the cunning criminal. Heroic Hollywood doesn’t have more details on the status of that pitch, and instead speculates forward to ways that the Robert Pattinson Batman series could factor in Bane. Possible, but right now, Matt Reeves seems to have his deck stacked with the likes of Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), The Riddler (Paul Dano) and Penguin (Colin Farrell).

What do you think? Would you kill to see a Bane movie? Or is he far less complicated than The Joker, and thereby not worthy of his own solo film? Hit the poll below, and then elaborate in the comments section. The Dark Knight waits.

This poll is no longer available.

Sean O'Connell
Managing Editor

Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.