The Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel are finally teaming up (and, clashing) on the big screen in the highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice later this month. The roll-out is a big deal for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, who are hoping to create a cinematic universe akin to the huge success that rival Marvel has had in recent years- Batman v Superman is the ambitious extension of the 2013’s blockbuster Man of Steel. In preparation, news has surfaced that a R-rated “Ultimate Edition” will be released on home video some time this summer. Batman v Superman will open theatrically with the more audience friendly PG-13 rating.
First impressions of the R-rated Batman v Superman seem like a response to gargantuan recent success of the very R-rated Deadpool (the Marvel adaptation which is currently breaking box office records and restoring the career of actor Ryan Reynolds), yet recent Entertainment Weekly profile states the R-rated home video experience of Batman v Superman has been in the works for quite a while now. This begs the question of what may be included on the forthcoming extended “Ultimate Edition” Blu-Ray? (A serious question considering the theatrical cut has a rather herculean running time of 2 hours and 31 minutes.)
Well for the starters, the R-rated extended looks to be the only place to check out the mystery character portrayed by Jena Malone (Inherent Vice). Malone, who recently wrapped duties on The Hunger Games franchise, was cut from the theatrical version of the film but will resurface for the “Ultimate Edition.” There’s still nary clue on who her character might be – director Zack Snyder (who also directed Man of Steel) has been particularly mum stating, “I think we should keep it private, but it’s nothing that’s been talked about. She’s definitely not Robin or Batgirl. I’m happy to say that.” As for what else to expect in the R-rated cut? Snyder teased in Entertainment Weekly:
There’s a couple, like, Ahman Green, the running back from the Green Bay Packers, he’s in it. And C.T. Fletcher is like this bodybuilder muscle-guru from Compton, this awesome guy. He’s amazing, and he’s in it and then there’s just a lot of these Easter Eggs in the Director’s Cut that I think are gonna be fun for everyone.
There may also be some teasers for the upcoming Justice League film. On terms of what earned the extended cut an R-rating, that seems a bit of a mystery. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) labeled the PG-13 theatrical cut for “intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality,” whereas the R-rated “Ultimate Edition” gets that distinction on vaguer terms of “for sequences of violence.” However, don’t expect Deadpool-level blood and guts in the R-rated cut either. Producer Charles Roven stated:
There’s not a lot of blood in our movies. The ratings board also judges their PG-13 and R ratings by what they consider to be a level of intensity and how much that intensity goes throughout the entire movie. There are some pretty intense scenes in Batman v Superman, and if they went on longer and had that same level of intensity, that might cause the ratings board to shift their rating.
This practice of a R-rated home video extended cut may also occur for WB’s second DC adaptation of 2016- Suicide Squad. The bad guys turned good yarn starring Will Smith (Concussion), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) will open in theaters of August 5th with a PG-13 rating.
Ben Affleck will debut his Batman while Henry Cavill reprises his role as Superman. The film will also introduce venerable all-star team of favored DC characters including Lex Luthor (played by Jesse Eisenberg), Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot), Aquaman (played by Jason Momoa) and Alfred (played by Jeremy Irons). How do you feel about the news? Batman v Superman hits theaters on March 25th.
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