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The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan that concludes his Batman trilogy.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan that concludes his Batman trilogy. It stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman and follows Batman’s return to protect Gotham City after an eight-year absence, as the city faces a threat from Bane. The film was released by Warner Bros.

Plot

The story begins eight years after Batman disappeared from public life and Gotham has experienced a period of relative peace. Batman returns when Bane threatens the city, forcing Bruce Wayne to confront both a criminal uprising and the consequences of his earlier actions.

Production

Christopher Nolan directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Jonathan Nolan. The film continued the series that began with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Cast

The ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Caine. Bale plays Bruce Wayne / Batman, Hardy plays Bane, and Hathaway plays Selina Kyle / Catwoman.

Release and reception

The film was released in 2012 and became a major mainstream superhero release. Available sources describe it as widely recognised and discuss it as a divisive but notable conclusion to Nolan’s trilogy.

Key facts

  • The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final instalment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
  • Its story is set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight.
  • Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle / Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane.
  • The plot centres on Batman coming out of retirement to stop Bane’s attack on Gotham City.
  • The film was released theatrically in 2012 by Warner Bros.
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Canadian context

The film was part of the global theatrical release of a major Hollywood franchise that was widely distributed in Canada and familiar to Canadian audiences through its English-language release and international box-office prominence. [5][7]

Frequently asked questions

What is The Dark Knight Rises?
It is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and the final film in his Batman trilogy.
Who plays Batman in the film?
Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne / Batman.
Who is the main villain?
The main villain is Bane, played by Tom Hardy.
What is the film about?
It follows Bruce Wayne’s return as Batman after an eight-year absence to defend Gotham City from Bane’s threat.
When was it released?
It was released in 2012.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Rises
    Supports: Basic film identification, cast, plot setting, and trilogy placement.
  2. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/
    Supports: Plot premise, cast, and reception summary.
  3. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/plotsummary/
    Supports: Detailed plot summary.
  4. DC — https://www.dc.com/movies/the-dark-knight-rises-2012
    Supports: Official cast, creators, genre, and trilogy context.
  5. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight_rises
    Supports: Release details, director, producers, screenwriter, genre, and synopsis.
  6. University of Wisconsin–Madison mirror of IMDb data — https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~wcai/784files/imdb_Repository/imdb_000084.html
    Supports: Release date, runtime, rating, and basic film metadata.