Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Morgan Freeman attended the world premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in New York on Monday.

For the third and final time Christian Bale takes on the role of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman.

The final part of Christopher Nolan's trology takes place eight years after The Dark Knight, when Bruce Wayne lost his love interest Rachel Dawes and killed Harvey Dent, who turned into the villain Two-Face.

Batman is held publicly accountable for the death of Dent.

Bale said: "Well he (Batman) sort of makes decisions at the end of the Dark Knight which he came to regret. They work for the short term but not for the long term.

"He lied, basically. He has now become a hunted figure and he has become reclusive and more so than we have seen before. He's let himself go physically and mentally and this is a story of him recovering his purpose and getting back into action."

But Gotham's peace, achieved by the anti-crime Dent Act is only short lived, and everything changes with the rise of the new super villain Bane, portrayed by Tom Hardy.

Hardy admits he had a tough act to follow in Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning turn as the Joker.

"He (Ledger) did such an amazing work that there is a responsibility for any actor to play the next villain in a Batman franchise obviously."

Also a new face in the series is Anne Hathaway, who takes on the role of Selina Kyle, or Catwoman.

She said: "I am so proud to be, to have taken any part in this film and the fact that I have taken part in such an iconic role, I mean don't know quite what to say. It's very exciting."

The Dark Knight Rises opens in cinema on July 20.