Zack Snyder Confirms Batman V Superman Was Almost Rated R For A Bizarre Reason

In another world, Zack Snyder's controversial "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" could have hit theaters with an R-rating. When it came time for The Dark Knight and Man of Steel to scrap for the first time on the big screen, Snyder made no concessions about making the fight as brutal as possible. However, the sequence, which serves as the basis for the entire picture, didn't go over too well with the MPA (Motion Picture Association). During a recent appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, the filmmaker explained his thoughts on the arbitrary ratings system before breaking down how the almost sacrilegious premise of "Batman v Superman" nearly led to an R-rating.

"Look, no one understands the ratings. No one does. It's an alchemy that is impossible to know," Snyder said, adding that he believes the ratings are based on genre. For example, Snyder says that the board is more lenient with certain types of movies, such as horror, as opposed to sci-fi films. "That was the whole thing with 'Batman v Superman,'" the director continued. "I remember the ratings board said, 'We just don't like the idea of Batman fighting Superman!'"

Snyder was naturally frustrated with the decision, pointing out that the premise of the film had nothing to do with the rating attached to it. "They kept making it an R, coming back with an R for us, and we were like, 'What do you want us to cut out?' And they were like, 'Well, we just don't like the idea of Batman fighting Superman.' And I was like, 'I can't take that out! That's the movie!'" Snyder said, before explaining that he had to trim the fight to avoid the R-rating.

Filmmakers and critics have never shied away from calling out the MPA for their arbitrary and confusing ratings. The rating system imposed by the organization has proven to be quite controversial, with numerous projects receiving ratings that didn't fit the visions of the filmmakers. Because of this, it's not uncommon for directors to appeal ratings, with Wes Anderson notably fighting the MPA over the original "Asteroid City" rating and winning.

It seems like tackling the MPA was an uphill battle for director Zack Snyder. He had to retool "Batman v Superman" to fit the PG-13 rating, which would allow the blockbuster epic to be seen by the widest audience possible. While speaking at SnyderCon 2023 (via The Direct), Snyder reflected on how the MPA was disappointed that Batman was too mean to Superman. "How about they just team up and like each other?' How about that? ... Maybe, they like argue at the first act, but then they shake hands, and then like they fight the bad guy together,'" Snyder recalled the MPA telling him.

Ultimately, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" ended up in multiplexes with a PG-13 rating, but not without some cuts and tweaks. Warner Bros., which originally had its own negative thoughts about the superhero film, eventually allowed Snyder to release an R-rated director's cut of the film, which featured more gore and violence. That version also ended up being 30 minutes longer than the theatrically released 151-minute film.