Here’s what Tom Hardy has said about starring in superhero movies

Tom Hardy is one of the more familiar faces in Hollywood thanks to starring in blockbuster films such as The Revenant, Inception, and Lawless, to name a few. Hardy has also appeared in several superhero movies, playing the roles of Marvel's Venom and Batman's villain Bane.

Hardy has portrayed Eddie Brock/Venom in two films, with a third, Venom: The Last Dance, set to be released in October of this year. The London-born Hardy's first superhero film was as Bane, the arch enemy of Batman, in The Dark Knight Rises.

What did Tom Hardy have to say about playing Bane?

Tom Hardy said two iconic things about playing Bane: the voice he used and the body transformation he endured in preparing for the role. Hardy said the following in a past interview about choosing the right voice for Bane.

"I told Chris [Nolan] we could either go down a Darth Vader route with a neutral tone villain voice or we could try this. It might be something that would be laughed at by the public. It might be something we regret, but it’s your choice ultimately. And Chris was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it.'"

- Tom Hardy

Several years after the movie was released, Hardy spoke about the reported 30 lbs he added to his frame to play the hefty villain. He did not have fond memories of what he was doing to his body.

"If we look closely, if we really study the photographs, I was really overweight. I ate a lot, and you know, I was not much heavier than I am now but I just ate a lot more pizza. It took three or four months of training and lifting and eating lots of pizza. And, it wasn’t great for my heart."

- Tom hardy

What did Tom Hardy have to say about playing Venom?

The third installment of the Venom movie franchise will be released in 2024 and will be the series' final installment. Despite the first movie being destroyed by movie critics, it made a significant profit compared to its cost. This was, of course, due to the fans whom Hardy praised.

"You want something to do well that you care about. And obviously… it didn’t carry any water with the critics. (laughs) They literally panned us. But the audiences turned out in droves, which was what was so lovely about it. It was like watching an underdog be lifted up and be presented and enjoyed and relished for what it was."

- Tom Hardy

Hardy received high praise for Venom, putting him ahead of all the other Marvel characters in a particular area.

"As far as Marvel characters, I have to say for me, Venom looks the coolest. That sounds a bit shallow! But I appreciate that he has a kind of brazen swagger and a zero foxtrot attitude."

- Tom Hardy

Will Venom 3 be the last time we see Tom Hardy in a superhero film? Only he knows the answer. If it is, we have witnessed Hardy put in some excellent performances.

Are you a fan of Tom Hardy? What do you think of his portrayals of both a villain and an anti-hero in two different superhero franchises? Do you prefer Hardy as Bane or as Venom? And are there any other superheroes or villains you would want him to portray?