Jena Malone's Role in BATMAN V SUPERMAN Has Leaked Online
From the moment Sucker Punch actress Jena Malone stepped on set for Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fans were speculating about who she was going to play in the film. We found out just a few days ago that her performance was cut from the theatrical release of the movie, but her character will reportedly appear on the R-rated Blu-ray when the film arrives on home video. Malone's character has leaked onto the internet, and while this could be considered spoilery information, it's not something that will actually spoil anything in the final movie, only an extended edition or deleted scene from the special features. In any case, if you don't want to know, turn back now.
A screenshot surfaced on Reddit (via Screencrush) that appears to be a marketing survey from Warner Bros. asking which characters they'd like to see more of in promotional materials. Check it out:
Assuming that this isn't fake, it indicates that Malone is playing Commissioner Gordon's daughter Barbara, who, in the comics, becomes Batgirl before being paralyzed by The Joker and turning into a wheelchair-bound tech guru with the code name of Oracle. That lines up with a report from Latino-Review from seven months ago, and the fact that Malone isn't in the movie now makes a lot more sense. If she is playing Barbara Gordon, it's almost a guarantee that Snyder recreated the scene from Alan Moore's The Killing Joke in which The Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara, which seems a little extreme for a PG-13 rated blockbuster. But that sounds like a perfect added scene for an R-rated home video release, doesn't it? Personally, I'm not champing at the bit to see that particular story beat immortalized on film, but it remains to be seen if Malone is going to appear in the larger WB/DC cinematic universe beyond the bonus features of Batman v Superman.
Plus, by having Malone play Barbara and specifically not have her suit up as Batgirl, it allows Snyder to be able to point to his recent statement about Malone's character and say he was telling the truth:
I think we should keep [her character] private, but it’s nothing that’s been talked about. She’s definitely not Robin or Batgirl. I’m happy to say that.
As long as she doesn't wear the suit, he's technically telling the truth. Do you want to see Barbara's paralyzation play out in an R-rated cut of Batman v Superman?