Jena Malone Cut From Batman Vs. Superman; Will Be In R-Rated Director’s Cut

It’s learned Jena Malone has been cut from Batman Vs. Superman.

If BvS sounds crowded, it actually got smaller as time went on. The PG-13 movie’s 2 hour 31 minute runtime will expand further with an R-rated “Ultimate Edition” on home video, featuring even more brutal fight scenes as well as additional hints at future films. There’ll also be some new characters, including a secret one played by Jena Malone, who was cut from the theatrical release.

A reason cited as to why Malone and possibly other characters were cut is because they want each character to feel distinct and strong.

“It’s all world-building as much as it is character-building,” he says. “Batman isn’t just a character. He’s a character within Gotham City, with all the iconography behind him and the emotional underpinning of Bruce Wayne and the fight for justice, which is a pretty dark fight when it comes to Batman. And then you have Superman, on the other hand, who has a very different world he lives in and a very different way he operates and in a very different methodology to how he protects people and why he does it. He doesn’t wear a mask. He really wants to be accepted because, quite honestly, I think as a kid he never felt accepted. He never felt like he was one of us.”

With that contrasting psychological dynamic, now try adding four more heroes to the mix. It’s not possible. Not all at once. Not if you want the characters to have any depth. That’s why the theatrical release focuses squarely on the two title heroes, with a secondary motive to leave fans wanting more of the newcomers. 

While it might be disappointing we’re not going to see Jena Malone as Barbara Gordon or Carrie Kelley (or another character), the R-Rated Batman Vs. Superman Ultimate Edition is sounding better and better.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” has a March 25, 2016 release starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Ray Fisher as Cyborg with Callan Mulvey, Holly Hunter as Senator Finch and Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves. Justice League is to follow directed by Zack Snyder as well.

Synopsis:

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.