Batman V. Superman is going even darker for an R-rated release

The success of Deadpool is continuing to affect the rest of the comic-book movie landscape, as one of the biggest upcoming films is now going to go “R”-rated, too — but there’s a catch.

Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice has reportedly earned an “R” rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, but will hit theaters with a “PG-13”-rated cut. The movie will then be released on Blu-ray in its original, “R”-rated form along with the “PG-13” theatrical version.

The news regarding Batman V. Superman arrives via FilmRatings.com, which monitors the ratings that the MPAA assigns to films. While the PG-13 theatrical version of Batman V. Superman will indeed be available when the movie hits the home-video market, the R-rated version will be released as part of the Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition package.

The site reports that Batman V. Superman initially received the restricted rating from the MPAA due to extreme sequences of violence — which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen the franchise-starting Man of Steel and its brutal, neck-snapping climax.

The decision to release an R-rated cut of Batman V. Superman after the success of Deadpool will probably seem like a familiar course of action for Warner Bros. Pictures and its stable of DC Comics superheroes.

Years ago, the success of Marvel Studios’ integrated movie-verse led Warner Bros. to hastily announce their own cinematic universe — one that extends well into 2020 but lacks any connection with the already established (and flourishing) television universe for DC Comics superheroes. Instead of playing to the traditionally lighter tone of many DC Comics characters, the studio has focused on replicating the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy with grimmer, darker, and more adult-oriented films featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of their characters.

As many pundits have already suggested, the success of Deadpool now appears to have given the studio a green light to go even darker with their iconic, formerly kid-friendly heroes.

Directed by Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Sucker Punch), Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice pits the two superheroes against each other in a vicious brawl between two of the world’s most dangerous vigilantes. The film hits theaters March 25.