What Will The R-Rated 'Batman V Superman' Cut Have That The PG-13 One Won't? Jena Malone, For Starters

For months, fans have speculated about whom Jena Malone could be playing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Could she be the new Barbara Gordon? Or some version of Robin? The one thing we knew we could count on was that all would be revealed once the film hit theaters — but it turns out that may not be the case anymore.

Malone has reportedly been cut from the theatrical version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, all's not lost – she'll still be seen in the R-rated home video cut later in the year. So what else will the "Ultimate Edition" have that the theatrical edit won't? Get all the details below. 

Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder isn't ready to divulge the identity of Malone's mystery character, but he did shoot down some rumors in a chat with Entertainment Weekly. "I think we should keep it private, but it's nothing that's been talked about," he said. "She's definitely not Robin or Batgirl. I'm happy to say that."

Malone isn't the only actor who was axed from the theatrical cut, only to be restored in the "Ultimate Edition" one. Snyder dished the details:

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.

Besides the additional characters, the Batman v Superman "Ultimate Edition" will also feature expanded storylines for some minor characters, and tease future installments of the DC Extended Universe franchise. "There's one giant one that I won't tell you about yet that speaks to what's gonna go on in the greater Justice League universe," teased Snyder.

Of course, all this extra material means a longer running time — and at 151 minutes, it's not like the theatrical cut is very short to begin with. Snyder won't say how long the "Ultimate Edition" runs, but does point out that the theatrical edit's real running time is "closer to two hours and 22 minutes" once you count out the end credits. "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," he said.

As for what makes the "Ultimate Edition" R-rated, the official MPAA ruling makes vague reference to "sequences of violence." Batman v Superman producer Charles Roven expands on that description somewhat. "There's not a lot of blood in our movies," he said. "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."

In other words, don't expect the R-rated Batman v Superman "Ultimate Edition" to differ dramatically from the PG-13 edit. We're not talking about the difference between a sunny kid-friendly adventure and a snuff film – we're talking about the difference between a pretty intense movie and a slightly more intense one. As The Dark Knight showed, you can get away with some pretty twisted stuff in a PG-13 film anyway.

And although some fans have wondered whether an R-rating is even appropriate for a relatively clean-cut hero like Superman, Ben Affleck argues that the "Ultimate Edition" lets audiences get the best of both worlds. "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," he said. "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."