Batman v Superman R-Rated Version Confirmed, Here's What's in It

Superhero showdown movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice carries a PG-13 rating for its theatrical release, but now Warner Bros. has confirmed an R-rated "Ultimate Edition" for home video. This was first tipped from an official ratings description for the Ultimate Edition which said it would contain extra "sequences of violence." Now, Entertainment Weekly has more details on those sections.

Producer Charles Roven says these scenes will not be gratuitous. In fact, he explains that the "intensity" of the violence in the extended cut matches what you'll see in theaters. An R-rating was imposed, then, because the scenes go on longer, thus, in theory at least, dialing up the potency even further.

"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."

Actor Ben Affleck, who plays Batman in the film, told EW that he can see both sides of the argument pertaining to a PG-13 film getting an alternate R-rated version.

"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."

Batman v Superman's theatrical runtime is 2 hours and 31 minutes, which is Lord of the Rings-like length. Director Zack Snyder didn't say how much longer the home video cut would be. But he did talk about some of the footage left on the cutting room floor.

One thing cut from the theatrical version but featured in the home video cut is the character played by Hunger Games actress Jena Malone. Snyder wouldn't give away details, other than to say she's not Robin or Batgirl.

"Some of what's being added to the Ultimate Edition counts as a spoiler, so we won't reveal all of the extra material," EW reported. "Suffice to say, some minor characters in the theatrical cut are given expanded storylines. And a few other actors will join Malone in being rescued from the cutting room floor."

Snyder did confirm that Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green is featured in the Ultimate Edition, as well as C.T. Fletcher, a bodybuilder from Compton.

"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," he said.

The extended edition will also reference 2017's Justice League movie. "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," Snyder said.

Head to EW to read the full story.

Batman v Superman opens on March 25, 2016 and is poised for big success at the box office. It also stars Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Laurence Fishburne. You can see some new stills from the action movie here.

Fox's superhero movie Deadpool carries an R rating and it was a smash hit, bringing in more than $600 million to date. Other superhero films that could get the "Restricted" rating include Wolverine 3 and X-Force. Disney has also chimed in on the trend, saying it has no plans to make R-rated Marvel films.