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‘Batman V Superman’ Will Reveal Some Characters Only On R-Rated Home Video Release

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 15:46 PST, Mar 6, 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will hit theaters on March 25, but a more-complete second version of the movie will also be available this summer. In an expansive promotional interview with Entertainment Weekly, Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder revealed that the theater version of Batman v Superman will stick to a PG-13 rating, while a summer video release will be extended and have an R-rating.

While the R-rated, “Ultimate Edition” of Batman v Superman will include more violence, it will also include plot threads that didn’t make the cut for the March theater release. Among the most secretive of these plots is one involving Jena Malone.

Jena Malone has been acting since she was 10 years old and after a string of smaller movies found her way into big budget Hollywood with the role of Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games series.

Since rumors surfaced that Jena Malone would be in Batman v Superman, speculation began on just whom she would be portraying. According to Yahoo! News, the front-runner character for Jena Malone to play was Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, who later goes on to become Batgirl. Barbara Gordon also has an arc in the comics where she becomes Oracle, a computer expert who supplies intelligence to other superheroes.

Zack Snyder has kept extremely quiet on just whom Jena Malone will play. He has only offered a vague glimpse into the movie role she play.

“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.”

Ruling out Batgirl, then, it seems like Jena Malone may indeed by playing the role of Oracle. This secrecy will definitely lead a lot of die-hard Batman fans to purchase the “Ultimate Edition” of Batman v Superman in the summer if only to solve the mystery.

Part of the reasoning for the two versions of Batman v Superman has come down to content and what was cut for the theatrical release, Zack Snyder explained.

“We were just like, ‘Okay, look. We’re not making a three-hour movie. I mean, even I didn’t want to make a three-hour movie. I drove the cuts probably harder than anyone. The studio, they were willing to let the movie indulge pretty hard. But I felt like it’s at a manageable two-and-a-half hours.”

The R-rated release of Batman v Superman in the summer, dubbed an “Ultimate Edition” will have more content, presumably with more violence and swearing. For Batman actor Ben Affleck, he can see the appeal of two versions, as an adult and as a dad.

“I’m a parent of young kids, and I feel like I wouldn’t want to have a Batman v Superman that I couldn’t show to my younger kids. But on the same token, as an adult, I like to see movies that are R-rated. I think nowadays because we have so many means of distribution and ways that we can do different things, it’s the creative solution to a creative challenge.”

One reason for having an R-rated version of Batman v Superman may be due to the recent success of another superhero movie, Deadpool. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool has surpassed all expectations by grossing almost $700 million in just one month. It is already the second largest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, behind 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded. Deadpool has shown that there is a market — and a large one at that — for R rated movies.

With Batman v Superman just weeks away from its release, there is fierce speculation about just how well it will do. The previous Batman reboot starring Christian Bale was a phenomenal success, and Batman v Superman has big shoes to fill for this movie and the entire DC Universe launching from this movie.

[Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images]

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