‘Deadpool’ Will Keep Its R-Rating Under Disney, Opening The Door For Other Mature Marvel Films

With the Disney purchase of Fox an official reality, many are sifting through the facts and trying to predict what will come next. There is plenty to be upset about between the shrinking ownership of the media and the attack on net neutrality, but there are some bright elements involved. Many want to focus on the acquisition of Fox’s Marvel Comics properties and how they might play into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While we won’t see Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine or have mutants hopping around in Infinity War, there is that crossover potential after the final phases of the current film slate.

There’s also the chance that Deadpool will be able to make mention of all the Marvel craziness in Deadpool 2, much like Ryan Reynolds is already doing on Twitter. Adding a short stinger or post-credits scene wouldn’t be crazy.

All that said, there are some concerns that Disney’s purchase would affect the rating for films like Deadpool during their transition. That’s not going to be the case according to Disney CEO Bob Iger during a call with the media after the merger was announced. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Iger is keeping Deadpool at an R-rating and isn’t against other Marvel properties going that way in the future:

“It [Deadpool] clearly has been and will be Marvel branded. But we think there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like Deadpool,” said Iger. “As long as we let the audiences know what’s coming, we think we can manage that fine.”

With all the talk about Disney and their family-friendly image, it seems many forget how the company distributed films like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. They also have a selection of very mature superhero television series on Netflix that are quite popular for the Marvel brand. There are a lot of moving parts, but one could hope that this means it isn’t going to be all jokes and rainbows for the newly arrived heroes.

That said, make an animated Fantastic Four movie as bright and Kirby-esque as you possibly can. Just a bananas animated ride that is more Doctor Strange than Incredibles.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)