THE BATMAN Has Two Cuts - One With a Mysterious Character Cameo and One Without

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of director Matt Reeves’ The Batman for a couple of years now. We are finally in the homestretch, less than three months from its premiere, and an interesting curveball about the movie was revealed in a recent newsletter from The Hollywood Reporter. Before we dig in, let me give you some context.

Actor Barry Keoghan, best known for his roles in Dunkirk and American Animals, and most recently playing Druig in Marvel’s Eternals, is cast in The Batman in the role of Officer Stanley Merkel, original partner to Jim Gordon, according to IMDb. But last month, Barry Keoghan's brother, Eric Keoghan, claimed on social media that Barry was actually playing the Joker in Reeves' film. That post was deleted, but the internet went wild with speculation. Was it a joke, or was there truth to this claim?

THR’s newsletter has now included this:

Last month, the internet went a little crazy about Barry Keoghan maybe, maybe not, playing the Joker in Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman. Don't look to us to answers on that one. But we can tell you this: Multiple sources tell us that Warner Bros. has been testing two different cuts of The Batman, one with a certain actor, one without. And the final test screening occurred last week, with the decision now made as to which version the studio likes, says one source.

So who is this certain actor? It seems that by mentioning Barry Keoghan, they are pointing to his involvement. Could it be Keoghan in the mysterious Joker role? Are they weighing in on his role as Stanley Merkel? We will just have to wait and see, but it will be interesting to hear what the two cuts of the film were once the movie is released.

The Batman is set to hit theaters on March 4, 2022.