The Batman: WB Reportedly Testing Two Cuts of Movie With Mysterious Character's Appearance on the Line

We're just a few months away from the long-awaited debut of The Batman, and fans are incredibly excited to see what the film brings to the tapestry of DC Comics movies. Existing trailers have already showed some epic new takes on iconic characters, but rumors have begun to swirl about who else could be introduced. In particular, recent rumors have suggested that Barry Keoghan, who was announced to have been cast in the film shortly after its first trailer debuted, might be playing a more significant character than initially thought, and that Warner Bros. was considering whether or not to reveal that twist in the final cut of the film.

The most recent installment of The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision newsletter addressed these rumors, revealing that "multiple sources" confirm that Warner Bros. is testing two different cuts of the film, which either do or do not feature "a certain actor." Their report also claims that "the final test screening occurred last week", and that the studio has now made a decision on which version they like.

Potential spoilers for The Batman below! Heat Vision's report doesn't confirm or deny whether or not Keoghan is the actor in question, much less which larger role he could be playing. When Keoghan's casting was first announced, it was indicated that he would be playing Officer Stanley Merkel, a relatively obscure Gotham City Police officer and partner of James Gordon who also appeared in the Batman: Year One animated movie. Speculation has since swirled as to whether or not Keoghan playing Merkel could be a red herring, and he could really be portraying the film's version of The Joker. While this new report acknowledges that rumor's existence, it doesn't confirm or deny it — but either way, it will surely add to speculation amongst some of the film's fans.

The Batman will see Robert Pattinson bringing about an entirely new take on the character, with a cast that also includes Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Kravitz as Catwoman, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

What do you think of the latest report surrounding The Batman? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Batman is currently set to be released on March 4, 2022.