Who’s the better Batman foe? Is it The Dark Knight’s Joker, played by Heath Ledger, or The Dark Knight Rises’s Bane, played by Tom Hardy?
When Christopher Nolan took over as the director of the Batman film franchise, he promised to ground the characters in a real-world to show how these super heroics would actually work. While that promise may not have ultimately come true, his Batman trilogy did put a great cinematic spin on the world of the Dark Knight. Two of Batman’s biggest foes in the Nolan universe were the Joker, played magnificently by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and Bane, played by the great Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises.
They both proved formidable foes for the caped crusader, but how would they stack up to each other? Each possesses unique skills that test different aspects of Batman, Joker with his intellect and unique way of getting under the skin of the Dark Knight, while Bane has a more fleshed out backstory and sheer brutality on his side. Whether you’re a fan of Nolan’s Bat-universe or not, there’s no denying the fact that both depictions of the characters have brought out strong reactions in fans.
Ultimately, though, which one ends up as the biggest threat against our hero? Well, luckily, we have a great way to find out. Let’s take the Clown Prince Of Crime and stack him up against The Man Who Broke The Bat, here on FACE-OFF!
This episode of FACE-OFF was written by Bryan Wolford, narrated by Shawn Knippelberg and edited by John Nguyen, while both Adam Walton and Chris Bumbray produce and Berge Garabedian is executive producer.