10 Disturbing Scenes Cut From Comic Book Movies
The Dark Knight could have been even darker.
Movie violence is a tricky thing to portray, especially when it comes to movies aimed at a younger crowd. A superhero can punch people in the face all he likes, so long as the punchee doesn’t lose teeth, spit blood or scream in agony. It's best not to show innocent bystanders being blown up or shot down by gunfire either. These movies play up the heroic fantasy instead of the nasty reality, which is why they can often feel sanitised.
Editing obviously plays a big role too, and certain comic book movies have had to tone down or remove entire scenes that pushed the boundaries too far. They featured moments that were too bloody, intense or downright shocking for the intended audience, so the hard edges had to be trimmed off before release.
In most cases, this is the right move, since the scenes in question would just distract from the rest of the story. Here are some of the most shocking moments removed from comic book movies, and the reasons for their removal.
10. Lau Burning To Death - The Dark Knight
For a movie that doesn’t feature a drop of blood, The Dark Knight still feels bitingly violent. From The Joker’s magic pencil trick to Batman’s forceful interrogation, it can feel more intense than movies with higher age ratings.
This is down to Chris Nolan command of tone, and knowing when to hold back and when to push the envelope. One area he smartly held back was the fate of Lau, the slimy businessman who took off with the mob’s money. He ends up tied to the top of the money pile The Joker sets on fire, a detail that can be easy to miss since the movie doesn’t linger on it.
It turns out Nolan shot a bit more, which showed Lau burning to death in his chair when the fire reached the top. Such a grisly fate would have been a step too far, so it was a wise deletion.