Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition Replaces Theatrical Version On HBO Max

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice left HBO Max at the end of June, but it’s been replaced with the film’s Ultimate Edition instead. HBO Max is WarnerMedia Entertainment’s new video subscription service, that kicked off on May 27th, with one of its most significant selling points being the service’s extensive coverage of the DCEU. The new service will be the only place to watch the long-awaited Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Aside from Batman V Superman, some of the DC titles available at launch include Suicide Squad and Aquaman, plus animated films such as Batman: The Killing Joke.

The Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition offers roughly half an hour worth of additional footage, making it well worth checking out while it’s readily available. In June, it was announced the newly launched subscription service would be rotating through its selection of DC movie titles. However, of HBO Max’s launch selection, several DC movies got a second wind thanks to popular demand. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was included on the list of extensions, but HBO Max has made a slight change to that plan.

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The availability of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was not extended on July 1st, as was previously thought to be the case. Instead, HBO Max swapped out the theatrical cut for the film’s Ultimate Edition. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition was made available on HBO Max as of July 1st, replacing the theatrical version entirely.

As previously stated, the selection of DC movie titles available on HBO Max will switch up periodically, so the Ultimate Edition likely won’t be available permanently. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition is a lengthy 183-minutes compared to the theatrical version’s 151-minute runtime. The half-hour of additional scenes layout Superman and Lois’ inciting incident in the desert more clearly. More time is also devoted to developing the contention between Batman and Superman and introducing the other Justice League members, tying up some of the loose ends left in the theatrical version.

Many subscribers signed up for the service primarily for the broad accessibility of DC movies. As the new powerhouse for the DCEU, it only fits for HBO Max to offer the enhanced experience of Batman V Superman. Featuring extended cuts and bonus content is also a clever strategy for the subscription service to gain traction and build on the goodwill it’s earned among the DCEU’s avid fanbase since announcing the release of Justice League‘s Snyder Cut. Once Zack Snyder’s extended cut drops, both his definitive visions for Batman V Superman and Justice League will have been realized.

Warner Bros. has put out several box office hits since Justice League’s theatrical flop in 2017, including the origin stories of Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, and Aquaman, directed by James Wan. The directors of these standalone stories all seem to have approved of the final cuts, which may suggest WB has learned to better embrace its directors’ visions. With that in mind, featuring the director’s cut of Batman V Superman rather than the theatrical cut sees WB placing Zack Snyder’s original version right alongside the other DCEU movies featured on HBO Max.

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Source: HBO Max