Some people just want to watch the world burn. Well Bane’s come to pull the pin on the grenade.

Big words from Tom Hardy, but considering that The Dark Knight Rises

marks the end of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, it seems only appropriate that everything has been kicked up a notch.

The movie returns to Gotham eight years after Batman took the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes and went into self-imposed exile. This act transformed The Dark Knight from hero to fugitive, and proved that he’s the hero Gotham deserves.

For a time, the Dent Act and Gotham’s finest kept the streets safe, but the emergence of a new and terrifying threat means Bruce Wayne has a decision to make. Can he bring himself to don the Batsuit once more, and even if he does, can he possibly stop the physically superior Bane?

For the first time, Bale, Hardy, Hathaway, Oldman, Cotillard, Caine, Freeman, and the man himself, Christopher Nolan, talk TDKR. For die-hard movie fans out there, the featurette below is an absolute must-see, but be warned, there are some spoilers ahead. (via The Movie Box):

Take a moment to recover from the 13 minutes of awesomeness that you just saw, I’ll wait…

OK, where do I start? I didn’t think it was possible to be more endeared towards Tom Hardy, but three minutes in, that charming man blew me away once more with his childish awe at seeing Batman. Bale obviously noticed Hardy’s reaction and is well aware of the power of the iconic Batsuit.

Nolan’s comments on Hardy may reassure his doubters somewhat, but what intrigues me most is Nolan’s assurance that we will find out what drives Bane, where he comes from and what he wants. How Nolan has put his own spin on the Bane of the comics is sure to be a highlight of TDKR.

The more I hear from Hathaway, the more convinced I am that she is going to kick all sorts of ass as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. I love her look as the classic femme fatale combined with her duel role as con woman and Catwoman. Definitely something to look forward to.

Another element I can’t wait to see is the new and improved Batcave. Nolan promised an expanded and more technologically advanced hideout for all of Batman’s cool stuff. It seems that even though Bruce Wayne has hung up his cape and mask, Lucius and the guys at Wayne Enterprises are still hard at work.

Special effects aficionados and movie nerds will understand the childlike excitement that can only be gotten from watching how filmmakers blow up a stadium on-screen. The Pittsburgh Steelers were kind enough to lend their stadium, fans, and uniforms to the Gotham Rogues for a day, and this glimpse into how they pulled it off will make the scene all the more astonishing when we finally see it on the big screen.

Nolan and the cast frankly had a lot to live up to. The Avengers raised and then Hulk smashed the bar for superhero movies back in May, and the end of a trilogy always has a lot riding on it. However, this featurette has rekindled my excitement in the midst of a torrent of teasers, trailers and TV spots.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20. Bring it on.