If rumors circulating since last year are to be believed, Marion Cotillard's character in The Dark Knight Rises, entrepreneur Miranda Tate, is actually Talia al'Ghul, daughter of Ra's al'Ghul, who Batman faced in Batman Begins.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Cotillard insists her character is exactly what she seems, "an ecologically minded businesswoman who is fascinated by Wayne Enterprises. They go through difficulties, and she wants to help provide the world clean energies. She's a good guy."

And what's more, Cotillard told The Hollywood Reporter that she stays a good guy throughout the whole movie.

Of course, we have to take anything the Rises cast says with a grain of salt, considering Chris Nolan's notorious secrecy. Could Cotillard be intentionally misleading us in an attempt to put the cat back into the bag?

[nerdbastards.]

Time to Play has a first look at the Mattel toy version of Batman's new aerial vehicle, The Bat, from The Dark Knight Rises.

This is our closest look at The Bat since it was spotted outside of Pittsburgh last summer. But, more importantly, the toy actually launches a Batman figure through the air.

So Christmas-listed.

[superherohype.]

Six new images from Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises have hit the web, courtesy of the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly.

We've got Batman holding what looks like the official Bat-iPad, Bane raiding a stock exchange, Catwoman in heist mode, Bruce Wayne in his PJs, and a good look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt's mysterious cop character, John Blake.

The Dark Knight Rises arrives in theaters July 20, 2012.

[geektyrant.]

A new high-res promo image of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises is our best look yet at the new Selina Kyle. (Embiggen.)

Previously, we'd only seen Catwoman with her visor down as she took off on the Batcycle, but this new image shows how those HUD goggles slide up to form her costume's ears.

We also get a closer peek at the textured leather of her catsuit, which seems to be all the rage in superhero flicks these days (see also: the new Superman costume).

The Dark Knight Rises is due in theaters July 20.

[comicbookmovie.]

YouTuber ParanickFilmz recreates the second trailer for Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises entirely in Lego, complete with some rather detailed custom figures.

When Legoland is ashes, minifig Batman has minifig Bane's permission to die.

[geektyrant]

The official production notes for Wrath of the Titans have inadvertently confirmed a rumor about Christopher Nolan's final Batman flick, The Dark Knight Rises: Liam Neeson will reprise his role as Ra's Al Ghul.

According to the notes from Titans, "Neeson next appears in Peter Berg's actioner Battleship, and he also will be seen in Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated action thriller The Dark Knight Rises."

It's always possible that Neeson will appear only in a flashback to his Batman Begins role, but the actor was spotted on the Rises set last summer.

Lazarus Pit, anyone?

[comicbookmovie]