In an attempt to differentiate themselves from Marvel's happy-go-lucky tone, Warner Bros. has prided itself on the darker and more grounded vibe of its DC Extended Universe. That won't change when "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" arrives on DVD later this year. Though the big screen version hitting theaters next month will be PG-13, a director's cut of the upcoming superhero square off has been slapped with an R rating from the MPAA, Variety reports.
This version, titled the "Ultimate Edition," will receive a Blue-ray release once the movie becomes available on the home market and will feature extended sequences of violence - the source for the new rating.
Director Zack Snyder is a fan of releasing grittier Blue-ray versions of his movies. Snyder's 2009 adaptation of "Watchmen," already an R-rated feature, saw an uptick in blood and violence once it was released on DVD. Snyder has a strong eye for action sequences and the extra showdowns in "Batman V Superman" will likely be particularly intense.
"Dawn of Justice" is not the first superhero film to embrace a more adult tone. Ryan Reynolds' record-breaking "Deadpool" is dominating the box office this month despite its extreme vulgarity, gratuitous violence and occasional nudity. The movie opened to a jaw-dropping $152.2 million weekend and sits at $497.6 million worldwide as of this writing. The immense success of the film has even convinced 20th Century Fox to allow Hugh Jackman's final turn as Wolverine next year an R-rating.
Scott Mendelson of Forbes explored how "Dawn of Justice's" R-rated "Ultimate Edition" may negatively impact the PG-13 film's performance at the box office. Whether or not it has any bearing on the movie's initial ticket sales remains to be seen.
"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" will see Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman/Clark Kent while introducing Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne along with several other iconic DC Comics characters. It will hit theaters on March 25.
