Up until fairly recently, there was an assumption that The Batman might follow in Joker's footsteps as an R-Rated movie. In hindsight, it may have been naive to think Warner Bros. would place one of its most popular superheroes in a blockbuster that wasn't rated PG-13, but director Matt Reeves has confirmed that he did push the limits of that family-friendly rating.
Talking to Den of Geek, the filmmaker said PG-13 was always the plan for The Batman, and explained that there is no alternate R-Rated cut fans should anticipate seeing down the line.
"In my mind, the movie was always going to be a gritty, edgy, noir, thrilling spectacle that was PG-13. That was always what it was, but I always knew that we’d be pushing the limits of what that could be, and so we didn’t really have to cut anything," Reeves said. "The promotional materials that you’re seeing, they’re fully reflective of the tone of the movie."
"There isn’t some special cut of this movie where it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, here’s the R rating that you’ve been desperately wanting,'" the director continued. "I didn’t have to suddenly start drastically cutting the movie or anything like that."
With these comments comes a new set of stills from The Batman (via Reddit). The first highlights John Turturro's Gotham City gangster Carmine Falcone. He's also featured in an image showing us a confrontation with Bruce Wayne as Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, watches on in the background.
Finally, there's a fantastic shot of Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth in a location that looks a lot like Wayne Manor. We've seen little to nothing of this character in trailers, so it's nice to get a glimpse into what the actor - who recently directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage - will bring to the table here.
The Batman will be released in theaters on March 4.