About
“When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die” is a line from the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises, uttered by the film’s primary antagonist, Bane. Shortly after the film’s release, the line became a snowclone, with variations such as “You have my permission to X” or “When Y, you have my permission to die.”
Origin
The line was first heard in the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises that showed before IMAX screenings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.[1] Some claimed it was difficult to hear Bane’s dialogue because of the face mask actor Tom Hardy was wearing during filming.[2] The film was released globally on July 19-20, 2012. In spite of the horrific shooting that unfolded in Aurora, Colorado during a midnight screening of the film, it was an international success, and the internet was soon flooded with media relating to the film, focused on sites such as Reddit and Tumblr.
Spread
The character of Bane proved to be especially popular, with several lines of his becoming well known within a few days of the film’s release.
References
[1] Wikipedia – The Dark Knight Rises
[2] Whatculture – The Dark Knight Rises Prologue Reaction