Summary
Deadpool & Wolverinehas hit theaters, and while it may be the first R-rated movie for theMCU, there are naturally questions surrounding how much it warrants this rating.Deadpool & Wolverinehas finally brought the Merc with a Mouth to the MCU alongside his dream companion, Wolverine. The early days ofDisney’s acquisition of Foxled to much speculation over whether the famously family-friendly franchise would tone down Deadpool’s no-holds-barred content to fit within the typical ethos of Disney andthe MCU timeline.
Considering Deadpool’s legacy both on the page and on the big screen as one of Marvel’s most hyper-violent and unabashed antiheroes, fears were thankfully assuaged relatively quickly. WhileDeadpool & Wolverine’s R-rating may have raised concerns that a large swathe of the MCU fandom may be precluded from taking part inMarvel’s next big movie, the question remains over whether the release is truly as exclusive as the official age rating would suggest. As such, here is a spoiler-free rundown of what audiences can expect to make their minds up on the matter.
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Deadpool & Wolverine Is The MCU’s First R-Rated Movie
MCU Movies Are Typically PG-13
The Motion Picture Association of America has givenDeadpool & Wolverinea “Restricted” rating. This comes with the following descriptor:
Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.
This rating mirrors the twoprevious Deadpool moviesand indicates the severity ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s adult themes. It is also the first time that the rating has made its way tothe MCU’s movie roster, though Marvel TV productions likeDaredevilandPunisherboast the equivalent TV-MA rating.
The UK equivalent of an R-rating assigned by the British Board of Film Classification is 15, which helps to give an indication of the kind of age range considered suitable for R-rated productions.
This is a significant development for the MCU as its movies have all been PG-13until now. While some MCU movies are more violent than others, nearly all shy away from showing more than a drop of (human) blood, replacing it instead with either alien blood or fluid used to power robots. The latter was used to great effect inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as Scarlet Witch is depicted covered in a blood-like substance that came from destroying numerous Ultrons.Deadpool & Wolverine, however, is unapologetically bloody.
Deadpool & Wolverine Is Very Bloody & Violent
Deadpool & Wolverinetelegraphed the level of blood, gore, and violence that audiences could expect when the first trailers were released. As the titular heroes tussle, trailers show Wolverine stabbing Deadpool through the groin and Deadpool firing at point-blank range through Wolverine’s abdomen. To put it mildly, there is plenty more where that came from in the movie itself, asthe MCU takes full advantage of the R-ratingand the titular characters' MO. The hack-and-slash violence they engage in is one thing, but their dual healing factors also ensure that they can continue shedding blood and limbs ad infinitum.
Marvel Comics suggests that Deadpool’s healing factor is more powerful than Wolverine’s, which is hinted at in the X-Men movies by the fact that Wolverine could die inLogan.
This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watchedDeadpoolandDeadpool 2. Some hyper-violent highlights from these movies include Deadpool’s single-bullet triple headshot inDeadpooland Juggernaut tearing Deadpool in two with his bare hands inDeadpool 2.Deadpool & Wolverinetreads much of the same gory ground while finding yet more creative ways of inflicting grievous injury. The violence is the most overt justification for the movie’s R-rating and may be the most prudent concern for parents wondering whether it is family-friendly.
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Deadpool & Wolverine Includes A Lot Of Cursing
A PG-13 rating comes with a rule that one utterance of harsh profanity - described as “sexually-derived” - is allowed. While this is the typical rating for all MCU movies, theMCU’s first f-bombdidn’t appear until 2023’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol.3.Deadpool & Wolverinehas therefore increased the MCU’s f-bomb tally one-hundredfold, as the Merc with a Mouth continues to live up to his nickname. His foul language is bolstered by characters like Wolverine, who also deliveredX-Men: First Class' curse word allocation in 2011.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is arguably the MCU movie that put the most strain on its PG-13 rating, as it also featured moments of relatively shocking violence and gore.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s R-rating means there is no upper limit on the amount or nature of curse words that characters can deploy. While this means that f-bombs rack up to the point where they almost become trivial, it never feels overly gratuitous, and audiences can expect to hear the same level and intensity of profanity featured in bothDeadpoolandDeadpool 2. With that in mind,Deadpool & Wolverineis on a par with its predecessors in most adult-themed areas - though it does rein in one R-rated factor.
Deadpool & Wolverine Includes Some Sexual References
Like the violence and profanity, the firstDeadpool & Wolverinetrailer laid out that sexual references would also be present in the movie as Wade Wilson jokes about pegging. While this is not the only sexual reference in the movie, the remainder follow a similar vein and are always part of a joke that - like most others in the movie - is swiftly brushed aside. The notable difference between this andDeadpoolis thatDeadpool & Wolverinestops at references and innuendos rather than depict actual sex scenesthat feature the aforementioned activity.
Taken together,Deadpool & Wolverinecould be considered marginally more family-friendly than previous Deadpool installments, though it is still far from toned down. It is worth noting thatit earns its R-rating and is worlds apart from the movies that typically comprise the MCUregarding mature themes and imagery. With that in mind, parents may wish to approach this movie with caution, basing the decision on the example set byDeadpoolandDeadpool 2.
It is likely, meanwhile, that Marvel will somehow cater to the audiences that missed this installment and its implications on the wider MCU narrative in some other way.Once Upon a Deadpoolwas Fox’s way of affording younger audiences the chance to catch up on the story in a more PG-friendly context. Whether Marvel does this withDeadpool & Wolverinein some capacity remains to be seen, but it is safe to say that this particular release is not one ofMarvel’s kid-friendly moviesin its current state.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
