'The Dark Knight Rises' DVD And Blu-Ray Release To Include A Longer, Extended Cut Of The Film

Running just under three hours, "The Dark Knight Rises" is this summer's longest blockbuster. When the film releases on DVD and Blu-ray, the film will be even longer, apparently.

This news comes from io9, who are spreading the rumor that deleted scenes will be included as part of a "Director's Cut" version of the film.

When "The Dark Knight Rises" released in July, many fans were sad that the Christopher Nolan era of Batman films was over. The film garnered rave reviews and has since passed the $1 billion mark, thanks to a strong overseas Chinese opening, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, which stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, has also been the subject of the ongoing movie/violence debate, with the tragic shootings in Aurora, Colo.

The supposed "Director's Cut" of "The Dark Knight Rises" will include sequences that are centered around Bane's backstory, as well as giving more screen time to Ra's Al Ghoul and other ancillary characters.

Nuke The Fridge includes a quote from production designer Lindy Hemming explaining in greater detail, the sequences that were filmed, but ultimately, left on the cutting room floor: "The thing that you should have seen during that sequence is [Bane] being injured in his youth. So one of the fundamental things about his costume is that he has this scar from the back injury. Even if he hasn't got the bulletproof vest on, he still has to wear the waist belt and the braces. In that scene in the prison, where he's learning to fight the same way Batman learned to fight, he's wearing an early version of his waist belt."

"It's showing support, but it's not the finished one he eventually wears. He's also wearing an early version of his gas mask, all glued together ... If you look at the film, unless they've cut it-and I'm sure they haven't-there's a whole early section for Tom Hardy where he's fighting and being taunted by people. He's got chains on him, and he's standing on a wooden thing while people are attacking him. And in that scene, he's wearing a much more ragged, primitive version of the mask," Hemming told GQ.

Sequences where Bane is learning his brutal fighting style should be interesting to see on-screen, as well as further exploration of the League of Shadows is a welcomed addition to the narrative. There's no news as to when the film hits DVD or Blu-ray, though, so, fans will have to wait.