It's official: Joel Schumacher's unreleased director's cut of Batman Forever does in fact exist, though it may never be seen. While Batman Forever was intended to be the third Batman film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, plans changed at Warner Bros. following Batman Returns. Warner Bros. sought to create a lighter Batman movie after Batman Returns' darker tone, so they hired Schumacher to direct Batman Forever. As a result, Keaton passed on appearing in the film and was replaced by Val Kilmer. Batman Forever is now remembered as a campier take on the character, largely thanks to Jim Carrey's performance as the Riddler.

Batman Forever also starred Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face and Nicole Kidman as psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian. While not as poorly-received as Schumacher's follow-up, Batman & Robin, Batman Forever hasn't always been counted as a favorite among fans. Many were displeased with how Batman Forever altered the tone of Burton's films and the way Kilmer's performance differed from Keaton's. Despite that, Batman Forever has been viewed in a better light in recent years, especially following Schumacher's recent passing.

Related: Why Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever Is Underrated

For years, there has been talk of an unreleased director's cut of Batman Forever that would've taken the film in a darker direction. Last week, writer Marc Bernardin said on social media he's been told the cut does in fact exist, and now Variety has supported his claim that "Schumacher did assemble a longer cut of “Batman Forever” that was indeed much darker in nature." Reportedly, this Batman Forever begins with Two-Face escaping Arkham Asylum and contains extended sequences where the Riddler invades the Batcave. Additionally, Schumacher's cut focuses on the psychological and emotional issues that led to Bruce Wayne becoming Batman.

Now the question is: Could the director's cut of Batman Forever ever be released? Warner Bros. representatives say there are no plans to do so, and they are unaware if the footage has even survived after 25 years. However, it is worth noting that some of the scenes from the director's cut are available on the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film, and some have been released on YouTube.

There's a good chance that fans will now attempt to call for the release of Batman Forever's director's cut, but if there isn't a complete version left, those calls might be for nothing. Still, there's bound to be renewed interest in this since Schumacher's death occurred just last month. There's an argument to be made that Batman Forever isn't as important now since Keaton is in talks to play Batman once again for the DCEU and Batman Forever has been ruled non-canon, but for fans of the film, it would certainly be worthwhile viewing. Should Warner Bros. discover Schumacher's cut is still intact, perhaps they should consider releasing it out into the world.

More: Every Joel Schumacher Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

Source: Variety