So if you’re on a site like this; chances are you’ve seen the Prologue and new trailer to The Dark Knight Rises. So I won’t bore you with a recap. There is a lot to digest in all this delicious new footage.
There are some key lines in this prologue that jumped out at me. Firstly, Bane mentions a plan. So this clearly sets him apart from the Joker who was all about chaos, Bane is intellectual. He is doing everything for a reason and he’ll break your back too. This leads me to believe that Bane is working for or is a part of or LOS.
It’s “known” that there is a young Ra’s and a flashback sequence somewhere in the film, in the trailer we see Bruce at a prison riot where they are chanting ‘rise’. I believe that is a flashback and Bruce is still training with LOS and they visit a prison where Bane is gaining momentum. LOS, I believe, provides Bane with the mask. In the prologue he says a line “no one ever noticed me until I wore this mask” (paraphrasing).
We also have Marion Cotillard playing Miranda Tate who is helping Bruce build up Wayne Enterprises. I believe she is Talia, Ra’s daughter and she is trying to infiltrate Gotham and finish the work her father/LOS started in Begins. The easiest way to do this is to soften Bruce and get LOS into positions of power and influence in Gotham. In the trailer we see people trying to force a retirement on Gordon saying it’s peacetime. So, LOS could be working their way through the Gotham
She hires Bane to let loose an attack, or a “fire” to consume Gotham. Fire is a major metaphor/theme it seems. “When Gotham is in ashes…” “The Fire Rises” etc…
We know Blackgate plays a part and a major rumor is Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Scarecrow in a scene involving a “criminal courtroom” in Blackgate. He worked for LOS in Begins so it isn’t a logical leap to think LOS would employ him one more time.
So, to tie this all together, in a manner; LOS is going to play a major part in TDKR. They burned down Wayne Manor in begins and now want to burn down Gotham in Rises (see I told you that fire was a major metaphor). We know that this film has a definitive ending; I think “Batman” dies not Bruce Wayne but Batman.