Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Ultimate Edition May Have Originally Been Intended For Wide Theatrical Release

If you’re anything like me, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a movie that you’d been waiting pretty much your entire life for. Despite the Dark Knight and Big Blue having been around since 1939 and 1938, respectively, the two had never met outside of comic books and animation. Thus, their first live action coming together was certainly one to mark on your calendar.

Unfortunately, its theatrical release proved to be among the most divisive superhero films of the modern era. Plagued by poor editing, it was apparent to all that large chunks of the story had been missing. Fortunately, Warner Home Video eventually released an Ultimate Edition boasting an additional 30 minutes that filled in many gaps on Blu-ray, but one could say the damage had already been done.

Now, it’s a matter of public record that I quite enjoyed that Ultimate Edition (my review can be found here), but it did nothing to change the movie’s somber, incredibly straight-faced tone, something that wasn’t for everybody. Admittedly, even though I prefer the extended cut, I’ll often watch the theatrical edition when I don’t have three hours to spare, deciding to just enjoy my “meat and potatoes,” if you will.

If your memory serves you well, you should recall that the Ultimate Edition was released in theaters as a limited engagement right before the Blu-ray dropped, but recently surfaced evidence suggests that WB may have been considering a wide theatrical release.

As it turns out, the extended cut’s Knightmare scene has found its way to Vimeo (see above). Understandably, you may be wondering what’s significant about this, but it’s worth noting that it’s labeled as being the IMAX version. So, either it’s been mislabeled, or the studio was indeed mulling over the idea of rolling it out in the greater format.

Either way, it’s fun to ponder if Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice would’ve embarked on a second tour. Had it done so, it could’ve stood a chance at crossing the billion dollar mark, adding to its worldwide gross of $873 million.