Does Batman die in Dark Knight Rises? This is the question on movie-goers lips and the one that they will all be pondering as they snatch their tickets from the box office clerks this week. David Letterman very publicly declared the pointy-eared hero dead, on his show last week but nobody seems to have gotten to the bottom of whether he was joking or not. Was Anne Hathaway's obvious panic at his comments just another display of her fine acting skills? Or was she genuinely concerned that Christopher Nolan would be flying into a fit of rage as the pinnacle of his Batman franchise just got ruined by a chat-show motor-mouth?

The Internet isn't throwing up much in the way of spoilers, despite the movie having premiered in New York and London already. The Detroit Free Press have handily posted an interactive 'Does Batman Die' Magic 8 ball which will throw up a variety of answers for you but of course, it will not lead you any closer to the truth. One argument, of course, is that the Batman franchise is simply worth too much money to have the super-hero killed off. Christopher Nolan may be done with it, but someone else might want to pick up where he left off.

The presence of Bane in Dark Knight Rises, though, raises questions over Bruce Wayne and Batman's future. In the comic books, Bane famously broke Batman's back. Could he go one further in the movie and put an end to Bruce Wayne's ability to don the cape and cowl once more? Comicbookmovies.com's editorial on the matter of Batman's death suggests that Batman making it out alive is not looking hopeful. Apart from one key factor: the title of the movie. Will the Dark Knight Rise again? The movie opens tomorrow (July 20, 2012). Expect the internet to be awash with spoilers then.