With the Dark Knight Rises already a week and some change into production, we can clearly get a grip as to what is definitely NOT in the movie and reconfigure what might be. For starters, let's begin with the confirmed characters and reconsider some older rumors that now have some merit.
Juno Temple has been added to the cast as a character called "Holly Robinson." Those familiar with the comics know that in Batman:Year One, Holly Robinson is a prostitute and is close friends with Selina Kyle. One of the rumors suggests that Catwoman will not make an appearance, but there will be a setup (as in sequels) for future stories. Don't get your panties in a bunch, though, Nolan has stated that this will be his final installment. Instead, think of this being a complete origin setup so that by the end of Rises, Batman will be as well all know it.
Joseph-Gordan Levitt has been confirmed for a cop on the hunt for ending corruption. This means that all roles set aside for him that were villainous are now out the window. This allows the villains confirmed (Bane and Ras al Ghul) to take more of the focus rather than diluting it with an over-abundance of bad guys. It also suggests his role will be more of a support role to Commissioner Gordon and a secondary-supporting role to Batman. In shorter terms, he won't be a main character.
This brings us to Josh Pence. This is the kid playing a younger version of Ras al Ghul. Keep this in mind when we consider the following rumors that have sprouted up in the Internets.
Okay, rumor one: Josh Pence is playing a younger Ras, but not a younger in years, younger in appearance. There are pictures on the Internet of the Lazarus pit. Do a Google search for "Dark Knight Rises Lazarus Pit" and you'll see literally 1,000s of them. In Batman Begins, Ras was jettisoned from the back of the train car. As an audience, we didn't actually see him die. The rumor suggests that his body was taken from the wreckage and brought to the Lazarus Pit, rejuvenating the body and healing itself. In essence, the character of Ras al Ghul is back to again wreak havoc against Batman. The downside to this rumor is that it goes against the anti-supernatural theme set in place by Nolan.
Rumor two: This is the more likely scenario. Younger Ras is portrayed in a flashback.
But hold up. If Nolan is avoiding the supernatural, why include the Lazarus Pit at all?
That, my friends, is the real question. Some suggest that it is merely a spring with bacteria that act like white-blood cells. Knowing Nolan, it'll probably be some extremely logical manipulation of an object that benefits his vision (think about the sonar abilities in cell-phones from TDK).
How do you think Nolan will make the Lazarus Pit believable?
