Depending on who you ask, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is already too long or not long enough. While there is a three-hour-long, R-rated director's cut of the film on the way to Blu-ray (and possibly theaters), the film's editor has now revealed that the original cut of the movie was around four hours long.
That's a pretty staggering runtime for a superhero movie. Film editor David Brenner recently told the Pro Video Coalition in an interview that the first cut of the movie included "absolutely" everything. Brenner chalks up the film's huge running time to the sheer number of character storylines that needed to fit into the film.
"Generally, BvS was a unique challenge in that we had not one but two protagonists, each with an alter-ego," Brenner says. "So there was Clark Kent, Superman, Bruce Wayne and Batman. And then surrounding them are Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Wallace Keefe, Perry White, Martha Kent, Holly Hunter's character (Senator Finch), and still more characters orbiting them."
The three-hour extended cut of the film will restore much of that footage, Brenner says, but will have the "fat cut out." Still, the very idea that there is a four-hour-long version of Batman v Superman will no doubt entice some fans who already can't get enough of the cinematic universe Zack Snyder is creating. DC is trying to play catch-up with Marvel, so Batman v Superman is simultaneously trying to tell a standalone story while also setting up the entire DC film universe. That makes it more than a little crowded.
We already know some of what will be included in the film's extended cut. Shortly after the theatrical release of the film, Warner Bros. posted a deleted scene on YouTube for the whole world to see. It depicts Lex Luthor communing with an alien presence in the Kryptonian ship, a bit of context that would have actually helped explain some of the character's ravings toward the end of the movie.
If that deleted scene is any indication, perhaps the film's other 25 minutes of additional footage will prove equally revealing.
