The Big Clue Everyone Missed Early In The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan's acclaimed "Dark Knight" trilogy gave audiences a darker look at the Caped Crusader, presenting a totally different version of the character than was featured in Tim Burton's "Batman" films or the whimsical, slapstick 1960s TV series. The "Tenet" filmmaker brought his superhero trilogy to an end, however, with "The Dark Knight Rises." 

The 2012 film follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) as he returns to Gotham City after eight years of living in exile in order to save it from the brutal guerrilla terrorist known as Bane (Tom Hardy). Bruce is joined on his mission by Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and aided, as always, by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Cane). Along the way, he also falls for a woman named Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), the new CEO of Wayne Enterprises. 

Unfortunately, Bruce discovers in the film's third act that Miranda is actually Talia al Ghul, the daughter of his former nemesis, Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson). Ra's was the head of an organization called the League of Shadows who, using a false persona, trained Bruce in martial arts and stealth combat in 2005's "Batman Begins." At the end of that film, Ra's reveals his identity and unveils the League's plans to destroy Gotham only for Bruce to defeat him and leave him on a runaway train. The train ultimately crashes off of a bridge and explodes, killing Ra's in the process.

But while Miranda's reveal in "The Dark Knight Rises" comes as a shock to most viewers, there's one small clue that gives it away early in the film.

During the climax of "The Dark Knight Rises," Batman is able to overpower Bane. However, Miranda suddenly intervenes and stabs Batman, revealing her true identity. It's in the same scene that the audience learns that Miranda a.k.a. Talia al Ghul has been colluding with Bane the entire time in order to finish what Ra's al Ghul started.

The twist solves a mystery that is presented earlier in the film when Bruce notices a triangular scar on Miranda's back. The scar is never explained or revisited but is eerily similar to the triangular scars that can be seen on Bane's head, which visually links the two characters together. Unsurprisingly, many believe Talia's scar resembles the League of Shadows brand that is seen in "Batman Begins." In that film, Bruce is ordered to brand a thief with the symbol but instead knocks the branding iron out of the bowl and onto a barrel of gunpowder, which starts a fire that ultimately burns down the League's headquarters.

It seems likely that Miranda received her scar through some kind of initiation process. But regardless of how she got it, Miranda's scar is a subtle clue that reveals her secret allegiance to the League of Shadows way before she actually confesses her plans in the third act of "The Dark Knight Rises."