Batman V Superman Deleted Scene Was Too Controversial To Release
Christopher Nolan had two simple rules for The Dark Knight's Batman: "No guns; No killing."
Zack Snyder didn't take that same approach, much to the chagrin of many fans who felt this went against Batman 's traditional code. One cut scene in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice could have taken that to an entirely new level.
In virtually every modern take on the Caped Crusader, he has an absolute refusal to kill – though the conviction he holds to that point varies from series to series. But in Snyder's Batman v. Superman, he took brutality to a level we've never seen in a Batman film.
Even discounting deaths that might have happened from recklessness (crashing cars, knocking grenades to the floor, etc.), Snyder's Batman has several confirmed kills.
His Batwing and Batmobile have mounted machine guns – something Nolan's Batman would never install. He fires a gun into a propane tank, killing several henchmen. And in one extended fight sequence, he stabs at least two men, snaps necks, and slams heads into the floor with lethal force.
Maybe his most brutal trait is branding bad guys by using a heated Batarang, something he does several times.
Damon Caro, who worked as the second unit's director and on stunts, revealed one more move that would have made Nolan shudder.
In the extended "Save Martha" sequence, Batman was taking fire from a group of henchmen. To protect himself, he grabs one of the henchmen and uses him as a human shield. Though he's not actively killing the man, he's showing clear apathy toward the lives of his enemies.
Ultimately, the scene was cut. Snyder or the studio may have felt it was just a little too controversial, but Caro said it was simply because the scene didn't fit in the flow of the movie.
Regardless, many fans were left in uproar seeing Snyder's version of Batman, played by Ben Affleck. They felt he "betrayed the character." However, the idea that Batman never kills is a little overblown.
In Batman #1, a year after his creation, Batman's plane was shown with a machine gun. He flew at a truck of henchmen, firing as he said, "Much as I hate to take human life, I'm afraid this time, it's necessary."
Giving that Nolan's Batman – and the new Matt Reeves version played by Robert Pattinson – were so anti-killing disguised the fact that several past versions of Batman were not opposed to taking life. In fact, Michael Keaton's Batman killed 17 people in his 1989 film.
Reeves' Batman is here to stay in a standalone series, so fans will continue to get their fill of the anti-murderous Dark Knight. But DC Studios recently announced the upcoming Batman movie The Brave and the Bold, complete with a brand new Batman and a brand new moral compass.