Even before Deadpool and Logan blew open the doors for big budget R-Rated movies, criticisms of the MCU stemmed from its bland palette and lack of maturity in some cases, and some fans think that an R-Rating would change that.
Of course, a little extra violence and more profanity doesn’t necessarily make a film better, and considering that Marvel is owned by Disney – who don’t make R-Rated films – the chances seem slim anyway.
Despite that, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige addressed the possibility of an R-Rated MCU film in an interview with Allociné:
“I don’t think it’s out of the question. When I started at Marvel seventeen years ago, the Blade franchise was doing very well. A lot of people didn’t even know that it was based on a Marvel character because at the time they sort of hid the fact it was Marvel. So, not out of the question, but not something we’re working on right now”.
Considering that Marvel movies are constant hits, consistently making over $500 million worldwide, it’s hard to imagine Disney seeing any reason to commission an R-Rated film and cut out a portion of their fan-base. MCU films are not by nature gritty, introspective works like Logan, they’re pure comic book adaptations that appeal to a wide audience that any other studio would kill to cater for.
Of course, Hollywood is constantly shifting and if some time in the near future Marvel fears losing a slightly older demographic, perhaps that’ll be the time to pull the trigger and draw them back in by marketing a darker, more down-to-earth offering.
Until then, if you want your fix of R-Rated superheroes, turn your attention to Sony’s Venom and their upcoming interconnected Marvel Universe, which is set to use Marvel Comics characters that Sony owns. They’d be smart to differentiate their universe from the MCU with a broodier product, and judging by Tom Hardy being cast as Venom and the news coming from the camp, that’s the idea.
#Peace.Love.Marvel
