Batman Forever was the disappointing third installment in the original Batman series from the late 80s to 90s. Originally, the series had been helmed by Tim Burton, but after Batman Returns the studio wanted to press ahead in a lighter and more family friendly direction, as a result, Joel Schumacher was brought on board as director.
Despite becoming the biggest domestic grossing movie of its year, Batman Forever was a disappointment among both fans and critics, with many believing that it was simply too light and campy. However, news has recently broken that a Schumacher cut of Batman Forever exists in the Warner Bros vault.
9 Some Scenes Are Included As Deleted Scenes On Theatrical Cut
Rumors surrounding the content of the Schumacher cut have been taking off of late, but some scenes presumed to be on the Schumacher cut have already been released to the public, with several being available as bonus features on certain releases of Batman Forever.
While this isn’t the same as having the fully-fledged Schumacher cut available, it still allows fans a glimmer into what Schumacher was originally planning for this movie to look like, before he had to cut down his movie to suit the vision of the studios.
8 Will It Be Released?
There had always been rumors of a Schumacher cut, but it was only recently that this talk eventually seemed to confirm the rumors. As the Snyder cut has recently been given its release due to the intense fan demand on social media, will the Schumacher cut receive similar treatment?
According to some executives, it’s unlikely that the Schumacher cut will be released as Warner Bros doesn’t see a market for it. However, if fan demand is high enough, the studio will almost certainly come to release it in the future.
7 No Post Production Needed
One of the biggest issues with the Snyder cut was the need to complete post-production on several scenes. This requires both time and money, as CGI effects must be finished and even actors might be needed to come back to either refilm or read their lines for certain scenes.
Fortunately, the Schumacher cut apparently doesn’t need any of this. The film has been sitting in the Warner Bros archives for over 20 years, ready to be released to fans of the movie.
6 Riddler In Batcave
One of the most iconic scenes from the theatrical cut of Batman Forever is the scene in which the Riddler sneaks into the Batcave and starts destroying it. The scene is pure lunacy, with Jim Carrey leaning into his crazy side to act out this scene.
However, in the Schumacher cut there was more of this Riddler invasion. The Riddler even uses his signature, Question Mark cane more during the attack on the Batcave as well. Even if the movie left a lot to be desired, Jim Carrey’s performance was certainly memorable and seeing more would be welcomed.
5 Longer
Naturally, as this is a director’s cut, the film will ultimately be far longer than it was upon its theatrical release. This is to be expected as one can hardly add additional scenes to a movie without extending the overall runtime.
It’s thought that the Schumacher cut will be an extra 40 minutes longer than the theatrical version, coming in at around 170 minutes long.
4 Two Face Escape
Batman Forever, opens with Two Face holding some people hostage in a bank. It is here that the audience is introduced to the new Batman, as well as to Dr. Chase Meridian, who will go on to be an important character in the movie.
However, the Schumacher cut is said to open with a scene showing Two Face escaping from Arkham Asylum. While this probably won’t add much in terms of story to the movie, it would’ve been fun to see.
3 Bruce Wayne’s Psychology
The theatrical cut of Batman Forever already focussed to a certain extent on Bruce Wayne’s psychology, largely through scenes involving Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman). These elements from the theatrical cut were certainly presented as being more serious in tone, so this would fit with the darker theme of the Schumacher cut.
This exploration of Bruce Wayne’s past may have been something closer to what happened in Batman Begins, just with a slightly camper take on the whole exercise.
2 Giant Bat
Perhaps in an effort to include some nod to the iconic villain Man-Bat, Joel Schumacher’s cut of Batman Forever would have included a scene in which Bruce Wayne fights a giant bat in a darkened room.
This scene is already available in part online and it is certainly very weird. While it may invoke imagery of Man-Bat, the scene in question is probably some kind of visual manifestation of Bruce Wayne’s internal struggle.
1 Darker Tone
The main piece of information that seems to have come out concerning the Schumacher cut is that the movie will be darker in tone than the theatrical cut, largely due to the issues surrounding Bruce Wayne’s mental health and past trauma.
Most of the original scenes will remain in the final cut, so this darker tone will purely be added by virtue of the additional scenes, it can be gathered.