Christian Bale Prepares For Painful 'Dark Knight Rises'

Chris Nolan and Tom Hardy spilled the beans on "The Dark Knight Rises" earlier this week, but they're not the only ones talking. Star Christian Bale is speaking out as well about his final appearance as Gotham City's silent protector.

Bale told Ace Showbiz this week that in "Rises," we'll see Batman dealing with his inner pain in ways we've yet to see from the character.

"How long will you let the pain and loss define your life? Walking around chasing bad guys is very heroic and attracts attention, but at the end it all accounts for, as a means to deal with the pain of a huge loss," he said of how Bruce has dealt with the death of his parents.

"We agreed that Bruce Wayne is absolutely sincere as Bruce Wayne, and as Batman utterly sincere," he continued his analysis. "But Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a pure facade, it's a lie he has, somehow, to control one side of your soul that's not really under control. In fact, only Alfred knows who he is. It's time for Bruce Wayne to face the pain, that has always stirred his life."

It sounds like an explosive last hoorah is in store for Batman when "Dark Knight Rises" finally hits, and Bale confessed that he has mixed feelings about leaving the character behind.

"It's like saying goodbye to an old friend," he said of filming his final Nolan-directed Batman movie. "When you have the opportunity to be a character so many times, you develop another relationship with him, a more profound one."

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