The theatrical version of director Matt Reeves‘ upcoming film The Batman will be the only version of the film. Den of Geek reports that there will not be an alternate R-rated version of the film, as many fans have been hoping for, confirmed in a new interview with Reeves.
The theatrical cut of The Batman is rated PG-13 for “strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.” According to Reeves, having The Batman be PG-13 was always the plan. “In my mind, the movie was always going to be a gritty, edgy, noir, thrilling spectacle that was PG-13,” he told Den of Geek. “That was always what it was, but I always knew that we’d be pushing the limits of what that could be, and so we didn’t really have to cut anything…I’m happy we got the rating because I want people to be able to come to see the movie.”
The film’s rating falls in line with the previous movies in the Batman film series. All four the pre-2000 Batman films were rated PG-13, as well as Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight trilogy, and the theatrical appearances of Ben Affleck‘s Batman in the DCEU have also been rated PG-13. The only live action Batman films to receive other ratings have been 1966’s PG-rated Batman: The Movie, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, and 2019’s R-rated Joker, which doesn’t feature the Caped Crusader at all.
However, fans should not expect an alternate R-rated cut of the film when it is released on home media and streaming. “There isn’t some special cut of this movie where it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, here’s the R rating that you’ve been desperately wanting,'” said Reeves. “I didn’t have to suddenly start drastically cutting the movie or anything like that.” Despite an alternate cut not being released for this film, it has happened recently with other DC films. After the theatrical release of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (directed by Zack Snyder), a three-hour extended cut was released on home media that pushed the film’s rating up to R. In 2021, HBO Max released Snyder‘s version of 2017’s Justice League, which also received an R-rating.
The Batman will star Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Joining Pattinson in the film will be Zoe Kravitz (as Catwoman/Selina Kyle), Paul Dano (as the Riddler/Edward Nashton), Jeffrey Wright (as James Gordon), John Turturro (as Carmine Falcone), Andy Serkis (as Alfred Pennyworth), and Colin Farrell (as the Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot). Reeves also co-wrote the script with Peter Craig.
The Batman premieres in theaters on March 4.
via Collider