Scheduling concerns now dealt with, Tom Hardy has been confirmed for The Revenant, which already had Leonardo DiCaprio on board to star and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Biutiful, Babel) locked to direct. That’s a powerful combo grown stronger with Hardy’s addition; the one-time Bane looks likely to take up the villainous role again, presumably playing the leader of a pair of thieves who rob the victim of a bear attack.

There was initially a question as to whether Hardy would be able to fit The Revenant into his schedule. Hardy recently finished shooting a number of projects, including Child 44, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Legend, where he shouldered two roles simultaneously. The main concern going forward seems to have been with the adaptation of the videogame Splinter Cell, where Hardy is locked to play Special Agent Sam Fisher, although several other projects Hardy is attached to are currently being sorted out as well.

The Revenant is based on Michael Purke’s novel of the same name and follows frontiersman Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) in 1823. In the novel (and presumably the movie as well), Glass is mauled by a bear and placed under the care of two men, mercenary John Fitzgerald and young Jim Bridger (a fictionalized version of the real famed mountain man, although the story is loosely based on real events). Fitzgerald and Bridger rob Glass and leave him to die when the camp is threatened by Native Americans, but Glass miraculously recovers and goes after his offenders with a vengeance.

With Will Poulter (We’re the Millers) already on board, Hardy’s most natural fit is into the role of Fitzgerald.

Not to be lacking on any front, the production has matched the addition of Hardy in front of the camera with Oscar-winner Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity) behind it. If DiCaprio and Innaritu weren’t enough to whet your appetite, the dual additions of Lubezki and Hardy have certainly propelled The Revenant to the top of productions to keep an eye on heading into next year. Production is being planned for this fall, which means a 2015 awards season release certainly isn’t out of the question.

With the principle cast and crew set, expect this one to go quiet for a while, but we’ll keep an ear to the ground for more info on The Revenant as it becomes available.