Deadpool's extraordinary box office success has the entertainment industry reevaluating what is possible for comic book, and more specifically superhero, movies.
Many expect to see a series of films hoping to emulate Deadpool's triumph over the next few years, but as James Gunn noted, it's not about playing copycat, but rather creating the freedom for each character to be and do what is appropriate for them.
The good news is, the door seems to be open for an R-rating where it is appropriate, and we may see 20th Century Fox walk through said door even sooner than expected.
An image of a Fox pamphlet taken at Toy Fair (via ComicBook.com) reveals that the expected rating for Hugh Jackman's upcoming Wolverine 3 is an R.
Take a look below:
Why Deadpool killed at the box office:
Now, that doesn't mean that the film will indeed have an R rating upon release. The James Mangold-directed movie isn't yet in production. What it does indicate is that 20th Century Fox is open to the possibility.
Hugh Jackman has previously told /Film that they were open to an R-rated Wolverine, saying “If you're ever going to make a real character R-rated, Wolverine's the one.” Deadpool may have something to say about that.
That aside, the rumor is that Wolverine 3 will be based on the Old Man Logan storyline, which is certainly dark and violent enough to earn an R-rating.
Ideally, we'll see this rating applied where appropriate, but not a rash of Deadpool knock-offs that don't make sense. I don't think we need an R-rated Guardians of the Galaxy 2, for example. Nor do I think we'll get one, come to that.
In the video above and below David Griffin and Roth Cornet look at what this potential rating may mean for the film and its storyline, and if we need an R-rating for a character that has previously existed in a PG-13 world.
Take a look and chat with us here or on Twitter.
Roth: @RothCornet
David: @Griffined
The Wolverine is set to hit theatres on March 3, 2017.