The 75 year old Golden Globe Award, SAG Award and Academy Award winning actor - with one of the most amazing voices in the industry - sat down with Newsweek to discuss the movie and various other topics:
N: Did you have any reservations about being involved in this epic trilogy?
MF: None whatsoever! I didn’t know it was going to be a trilogy. With Batman Begins, I don’t recall that I’d done one of these big action blockbusters so it was as good a reason as any to get involved with one. Like everybody else, I have this fascination with Batman and this reincarnation of him is the best ever.
N: In your mind, what function do you think Lucius Fox serves for Bruce Wayne/Batman?
MF: Michael Caine and I have come to the conclusion that he’s the heart of Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox is the brain of Batman.
N: You’re responsible for creating all the fun gadgets. Did you have any favorites?
MF: All the toys! I do have a favorite and it surfaced in the third one: The Bat. But I didn’t get to ride any of them.
N: In The Dark Knight Rises, there are hints of the ‘Occupy’ movement—with Bane’s rebel army targeting Gotham’s rich.
MF: Chris talked about it and he didn’t really have anything like that in mind during the writing of The Dark Knight Rises, so this is one of those situations where people can read into it what they will. But I think that [the disparity in wealth] has happened before, and there’s going to have to be a shakeout. When all of the wealth gets into the hands of so few people, there’s going to be a shakeout, and this is the wrong kind of country for that sort of thing. This isn’t serfdom or an oligarchy. We won’t exist for very long like that.
N: Marvel’s talking about creating the first Hollywood film centered on a black superhero, Black Panther. Symbolically, it could be a big deal for black actors.
MF: Well, if the movie is done well. Will Smith did one [Hancock] that was kind of silly. I don’t know why they even did that movie. But if they do Black Panther with some class and some creativity, I think it would go over big-time.
N: You’ve also been a big proponent of the legalization of marijuana.
MF: Marijuana! Heavens, oh yeah. It’s just the stupidest law possible, given history. You don’t stop people from doing what they want to do, so forget about making it unlawful. You’re just making criminals out of people who aren’t engaged in criminal activity. And we’re spending zillions of dollars trying to fight a war we can’t win! We could make zillions, just legalize it and tax it like we do liquor. It’s stupid.
N: When filming wrapped on The Dark Knight Rises, did you get a parting gift?
MF: Yeah, I did! I got a big box with a stuffed bat in it. The bat’s hanging up over the door in my office at home.
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