The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy To Read Bedtime Stories For Children

Tom Hardy is used to bringing characters like Bane and Venom to life in superhero films, but fans are going to get to see a much softer side of the actor thanks to the BBC. The BBC pre-school channel CBeebies is bringing Hardy back to its long-running Bedtime Stories series to read six more stories to kids. Hardy's last appearance on the show became one of the most popular entries in the series, as the BBC has said his appearance in 2016 generated more than 1 million requests on the streaming BBC iPlayer. This puts him in elite company, as the series has also featured names like Stephen Graham, Rosamund Pike, and David Schwimmer, and now Hardy is returning to read 6 new stories on April 27th.

Hardy will read one story every night starting on April 27th, with 5 of those stories hitting in the first week and a 6th story hitting later this year. Titles include Hug Me, Don't Worry Little Crab, and more.

You can check out the full lineup of books below.

Hug Me by Simone Ciraolo
Under The Same Sky by Robert Vescio and Nicky Johnston
There's A Tiger In The Garden by Lizzy Stewart
Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
The Problem With Problems by Rachel Rooney and Zehra Hicks

Now, Hardy won't be alone, as he will have his French Bulldog Blue with him, and we imagine Blue will make this an even better experience.

Hardy will introduce the first book (Hug Me) with a personal message, and you can find it below.

"Hello. I'm Tom. Sometimes, on a day like this, I feel strong and happy. But on other days, I just need somebody to give me a hug. Tonight's bedtime story is all about a little cactus called Felipe, who just wants a hug too," Hardy says.

Hardy will not be reading bedtime stories in his upcoming sequel to Venom, as that film will see him facing down an even more lethal threat in Carnage, who is set to be played by Woody Harrelson. We are hoping to get a first teaser for that soon, but in the meantime, you can see Hardy reading some bedtime stories, because you definitely won't get that in Venom.

via Deadline