Batman Forever is one of the most divisive Batman movies to date, but Joel Schumacher’s 170-minute cut might have been better received, as it left a lot of interesting scenes out. Although Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is now regarded as one of the best superhero movies ever made, it wasn’t well-received during its release, leading Warner Bros. to make some changes. In order to shake off the darkness of Batman Returns, Joel Schumacher was brought in as director and Val Kilmer was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and together they gave the Caped Crusader a new tone in Batman Forever.Accompanying Kilmer’s Batman were Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian, Jim Carrey as Edward Nygma/The Riddler, and Tomy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and together, they made Batman Forever a campier movie that still managed to retain some of the darkness from Burton’s movies. Batman Forever was a box office success and got mixed reviews, but its reception could have been different had Schumacher’s cut been released. The Schumacher cut of Batman Forever hasn’t been released yet, but details about it have been revealed over the years – and here’s every known cut and change in the director’s cut of Batman Forever.
Batman Forever’s Schumacher Cut Exists
Directors’ cuts are not new but not all of them get to see the light of day, and that seems to be especially common in the superhero genre. It’s not that surprising, then, that Batman Forever is confirmed to have a director’s cut, but not one that hasn’t been released. Kevin Smith revealed in his video podcast Fat Man Beyond (via CBR) that he has a copy of the Schumacher cut of Batman Forever, thus confirming the existence of this version, and he even teased he will review it with co-host Marc Bernadin. Smith didn’t share more details about the Schumacher cut except that it doesn’t start with Two-Face robbing a bank, and that doesn’t “happen for like 15 minutes in the original cut”. Smith also added that the copy he owns is “a crazy good” one, with “temp score and everything”, so for now, he’s the most reliable source about Batman Forever’s Schumacher cut.
The Schumacher Cut Adds 49 Minutes To Batman Forever
With all its added scenes that give it a darker tone than the campier one Batman Forever ended up having, the Schumacher cut adds 49 minutes to the movie. Schumacher’s version of Batman Forever, then, is 170 minutes long, meaning that it would have been a very different movie that could have been received better. Among the many critiques Batman Forever has gotten are those pointing at its campier tone, so a longer and darker version of the movie might have pleased critics and viewers a lot more and would have fit better with Burton’s Batman movies.Related: Fun DC Theory Solves Burton & Schumacher’s Batman Universe Confusion
What Joel Schumacher Said About His Batman Forever Director’s Cut
Among Joel Schumacher’s original plans for Batman Forever was adapting Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, but the studio wasn’t on board with the idea. Schumacher’s vision for Batman Forever was a lot darker than the final cut, and he wanted to explore the psyche of Bruce Wayne more deeply than in previous movies, following him through a crisis over his role as Batman and guilt over his parents’ death. Many scenes that fitted this vision were filmed, but they ended up being cut from the movie – however, some of those scenes were ultimately released, giving an idea of what the Schumacher cut could be like.
Schumacher’s Batman Forever Cut Has A Different Opening
The original opening of Batman Forever would have immediately set a darker tone for the movie. Set in Arkham Asylum, it followed a doctor as he visited Two-Face in his cell, only to find out that he had escaped, leaving the words “The Bat Must Die” written on the wall. The scene then cut to the logo and title of the movie, followed by Bruce Wayne arriving at Wayne Enterprises, where Edward Nygma took the chance and introduced himself. It’s easy to see why this opening was cut as it’s way darker than the final cut’s first scenes, but it would have added a bit more to Two-Face’s story.
Batman Forever’s Schumacher Cut Explored Chase Meridian’s Expertise
Chase Meridian was created for Batman Forever, and it has been her only appearance so far. Meridian is a psychologist working with the Gotham City police who falls in love with both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Although Meridian helped Bruce analyze a series of threats sent to him by the Riddler, she was, ultimately, mostly reduced to Bruce Wayne/Batman’s love interest. A deleted scene (which hasn’t been released, but descriptions have been shared) showed Meridian as a guest star on a talk show, where she discussed her analysis of Batman. This scene would have gone deeper into Meridian’s expertise and her interest in Batman, but it’s unknown why it was cut.
Batman Forever Had A Weird Beauty Salon Scene
Schumacher’s Batman Forever cut was certainly darker, but it also had its campy, funny, yet strange moments, just like the final cut. One of those scenes saw Batman chasing down The Riddler and Two-Face after their robbery of a casino, but the tracking technology on the Batmobile had been tampered with by The Riddler. Batman ended up in a beauty salon, where the customers and staff laughed at him, with a hairdresser asking him if he wanted “a little off the ears”. It’s a very brief scene, but it’s so silly that it’s easy to see why it was taken out of the final cut – but it remains to be seen if it fits with the rest of the deleted material in the Schumacher cut.
Schumacher’s Batman Forever Cut Showed Dick Grayson’s Training
As mentioned above, Batman Forever retained some of the darkness of Burton’s Batman movies, and among its most somber moments is the death of Dick Grayson’s family. When Grayson discovered Bruce is Batman, he joined him as his sidekick, even though Bruce refused more than once. Even though Grayson was a trained acrobat, once he put on the Robin costume, he turned out to be pretty good at combat as well, which would have been explained by a deleted scene. In it, Grayson is training in Wayne Manor when Bruce approaches him to warn him about letting his anger against Two-Face consume him. Although this scene would have come before Grayson decided to become Robin, it would have better explained his skills and abilities.
Batman Forever Showed More of NygmaTech’s Creation
Another scene not included in any home media releases’ special features is all about The Riddler and his company, NygmaTech. The scene showed the construction of NygmaTech on Claw Island, with the funds coming from the many robberies Nygma committed as The Riddler with Two-Face’s help. Although it’s unclear why this was cut, it might have been due to the implication of Nygma funding his company through his criminal activities.
Batman Forever’s Schumacher Cut Had A Strange NygmaTech Box Hits Scene
Even weirder than Batman entering a beauty salon is a scene involving The Riddler, Two-Face, and the latter’s henchwomen, Sugar and Spice. While discussing philosophical beliefs, the group was seen taking “hits” from Nygma’s Box. Given the scene’s obvious reference to drug use, it’s understandable that it was cut, but it was included in the Batman Forever comic book adaptation.
Batman Forever Foreshadowed Bruce’s (Brief) Retirement
Another scene takes the audience to the Batcave with Bruce and Alfred, as they watch the news and an anchor blames Batman for Gotham’s villain problem. The anchor even calls for Batman to retire, with Alfred reminding Bruce that he already avenged his parents (referring to the events in Tim Burton’s Batman). The scene continues with Bruce questioning his role as Batman and his purpose, with Alfred encouraging him to live his life. This identity crisis Bruce goes through explains him briefly ending his time as Batman and shutting down the Batcave’s computer later on in the movie, while also making Kilmer’s Batman more complex.
Batman Forever Cut A Scene With A Giant Bat
A well-known yet strange scene left out of the final cut of Batman Forever involves a giant bat. Following a fight with Two-Face, Bruce dealt with amnesia and descended to a part of the Batcave that survived Two-Face and The Riddler’s attack. In this scene, Alfred helps Bruce confront his fears and the guilt over his parents’ death, with Bruce coming across his father’s journal and later a giant bat. This encounter leads to Bruce re-embracing his Batman identity, and while it’s a scene that makes sense as part of Bruce’s journey in Batman Forever, the giant bat would have surely been too scary for younger viewers.
Schumacher’s Batman Forever Cut Would Have Explained The Movie’s Title
Schumacher’s Batman Forever cut wouldn’t have just had a different opening scene but also a different ending. As Chase Meridian is driven to Gotham by Alfred, she asked Alfred if Batman’s crime-fighting adventures will ever end, with Alfred replying that “not in this lifetime”, giving more sense to the title of the movie. The scene would have also shown Batman and Robin standing atop a gargoyle, overlooking the city, instead of them running towards the camera with the Bat-signal in the background.
Will We Ever See Batman Forever’s Schumacher Cut?
While there’s interest in seeing the Schumacher cut of Batman Forever, it’s unclear if it will ever see the light of day. Batman Forever screenwriter Akiva Goldsman revealed in an interview in 2021 that he expected a rebirth of the Schumacher cut, suggesting all the cut footage still exists. However, there have been no updates on the future of Batman Forever’s Schumacher cut, though Kevin Smith’s recent comments on it might reignite the studio’s interest. From what’s known of the Schumacher cut of Batman Forever, it might benefit the legacy of the movie, which continues to be considered one of the weakest movies in Batman’s film history.
