Spoiler Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
It’s no surprise that the MCU’s latest movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, brushes against the boundaries of its PG-13 rating considering its director is horror icon Sam Raimi. And while there have been notable R-rated superhero movies like Deadpool and Logan, the genre is known to be fairly family-friendly.
However, there are a few PG-13 comic book movies that push against the limits of their rating, whether it’s through excessive violence or darker themes. They might not have that R-rating, but those taking young children to the cinema may wish to stick with lighter fare.
The Batman (2022)
Matt Reeves’ The Batman does a lot of things different than most Batman films — and comic book films in general. The majority of scenes involving the Riddler and his disturbing acts are more akin to a horror movie with direct elements from the Saw franchise.
Twisted murders, political conspiracies, illegal substance abuse, and even the way Batman punishes criminals lead to The Batman being on the verge of an R-rating. Many were surprised that The Batman got a PG-13.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
While there are certainly elements of his Spider-Man trilogy, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is actually more akin to Raimi’s roots in horror. Yes, it has the bombastic CGI-filled action sequences that the MCU excels at, but there are many sequences in Doctor Strange 2 that went full Evil Dead, from Raimi’s signature camera angles to bizarre edits to even taking similar plot elements from The Evil Dead.
On top of that, Doctor Strange 2 s a contender for the MCU’s most brutal film for the ways in which the Scarlet Witch takes out the Illuminati — fatalities that could easily be used in Mortal Kombat.
Batman (1989)
Tim Burton changed the way Hollywood viewed Batman with his 1989 film starring Michael Keaton. Gone were the campiness and the goofy villains of the Adam West era; now, Gotham was a dark and grimy city overrun with criminals.
Batman was now a straight-up killer and throughout the film, there are men being electrocuted to death, falling into chemical vats, and more. Batman pushed the boundaries and helped pave the way for comic book films to take themselves more seriously.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
While there were certainly some darker elements to the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, it remained a mostly fun origin story about the web-head superhero. Spider-Man 2, on the other hand, went in a darker direction with not only the introduction of tragic villain Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock but everything in Peter Parker’s life.
Peter goes through an existential crisis, his own best friend hates him, and he’s still dealing with his toxic relationship with Mary Jane. Harry wants to actually murder Spider-Man, and everything featuring Doc Ock is much darker, especially a scene involving his tentacles that feels straight out of a horror movie.
Batman Returns (1992)
This is one that actually received controversy upon its first release based on scenes in which Penguin nearly bit off someone’s nose and Batman actually strapped a bomb to a thug. Batman Returns doubled down on all the darker elements now that Burton introduced in the first movie.
Over the years, more fans have come to appreciate Batman Returns for it being the director’s clear vision and providing a darker yet fantastical look into Batman’s world. However, according to Film Stories, back in 1992, parents were quite upset that Batman Returns was marketed toward the whole family.
Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)
There have been many animated Batman movies but they typically stick to a standard PG-13 rating. Under the Red Hood goes the extra step from the opening scene alone with Joker beating a teenage boy to near death with a crowbar before the boy is the victim of an explosion.
From there, Under the Red Hood deals with crime lords, Batman’s guilt over losing an adopted son, and a surprising amount of gore. There is a scene in which someone’s head explodes into a large splatter of blood. It may be right off camera but it doesn’t take much imagination to understand what occurred.
Batman Begins (2005)
After Batman & Robin brought the franchise to its most childish, Christopher Nolan rebooted Batman in 2005 with Batman Begins.
Part of what makes Batman Begins the best origin story for the Caped Crusader is how bleak it makes Gotham City. Scarecrow and his fear toxin bring a brief element of horror, and Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming Batman is more brutal than what had come before.
Hellboy (2004)
The concept of Hellboy alone makes for a darker superhero story. He’s a demon sent to Earth to destroy humankind but ended up becoming its greatest defender. He fights demons and monsters that come from many different mythologies and lores, typically in a more gruesome and horrific manner.
This should be no surprise considering Hellboy is one of Guillermo Del Toro’s best movies. The director also helmed Blade II for Marvel, and it’s clear that he likes dark fantasy. Hellboy delves right into Eldritch horror that even H.P. Lovecraft would be proud of.
The Wolverine (2013)
Whether it’s the theatrical cut or the even bloodier extended cut, The Wolverine is the movie that made it possible for Logan to be made in all its R-rated glory. This was the first time that Logan’s claws actually drew blood from those he slashed, and it made his combat so much more impactful.
The Wolverine overall had a much darker tone than previous X-Men films with Logan cutting himself off from society as he lived with PTSD. On top of that, there’s the subplot of Logan losing his healing factor and the shady conspiracy within a wealthy family that leads down twisted rabbit holes.
The Dark Knight (2008)
With the addition of Heath Ledger’s Joker, The Dark Knight managed to be even darker than its predecessor. The Joker is as much of a domestic terrorist as he is a terrifying serial killer, and every action he takes adds to the realism of the Nolanverse.
Joker’s grisly and twisted acts make him horrific because they could actually happen in the real world. The Dark Knight was a mature movie centered around the themes of morality and deconstructing the idea of a masked hero.
