James Gunn is sure Marvel will make an R-rated movie sooner or later – and here are the potential MCU heroes who would be perfectly suited to that approach. Marvel Studios is well known for its family-friendly house style, with its films targeted at a PG-13 rating. James Gunn, director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the R-rated Warner Bros. The Suicide Squad, is convinced Marvel will eventually make R-rated MCU films. “Not ‘Guardians’ though,” Gunn clarified, “because ‘Guardians’ are family movies, so it’s different. People are like, ‘Finally, they let you do R rating. What would ‘Guardians’ be like if that was R-rated?’ I’m like, ‘But it’s not.’“
There’s always been a push for more R-rated superhero movies, despite the success of R-rated shows such as Daredevil potentially proving otherwise, but it became especially pronounced after the release of Deadpool in 2016. But Gunn’s point is an important one because he’s rightly noting that not every character or concept is suited to that approach. It matches the argument he made back in 2016, when Gunn discussed lessons Hollywood should learn from Deadpool; in his view, the film didn’t succeed because of its R-rating, but because “Deadpool was its own thing… It’s original, it’s damn good, it was made with love by the filmmakers, and it wasn’t afraid to take risks.” An R-rating worked for Deadpool because it was appropriate to the character and fitted the film itself, just as a mature rating fitted with the old Marvel Television Netflix shows, such as the aforementioned Daredevil.
After Deadpool and The Suicide Squad‘s R-rating’s are possible thanks to the MCU, which Marvel superheroes would be well-suited to an R-rated adaptation as part of the shared cinematic universe itself? Here are the most likely candidates, the ones who are conceptually perfect to join the MCU in an R-rated form.
Deadpool
Fox’s Deadpool films proved the titular anti-hero is well-suited to an R-rating, and Marvel Studios is taking a simple view on using him going forward; why mess with success? Kevin Feige has confirmed Deadpool 3 will be an R-rated MCU movie; “It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan [Reynolds is] overseeing a script right now.” This will bring a new kind of character into the MCU, one who is aware of the shared universe be a force to be reckoned with. Production is expected to begin in 2022, and a release date has yet to be announced. Deadpool has technically made his Disney debut ahead of Deadpool 3, whetting appetites for more to come.
Wolverine
Wolverine is undoubtedly the most high-profile Marvel superhero who is perfect for an R-rating. After all, Wolverine’s most prominent weapons are adamantium claws, which can cut through flesh and bone as easily as they can through paper – and have frequently done so. Some of Wolverine’s battles in the comics have been decidedly brutal; take the time he popped his claws through Sabretooth’s brain, or his battle against Bloodscream – whose name is an accurate summary of his powers. Fox even decided to test the potential for an R-rated Wolverine with James Mangold’s Logan, which grossed over $600 million in the global box office – and proved the point rather well.
The Punisher
The Punisher was technically Marvel’s first R-rated vigilante, with Dolph Lundgren starring as the murderous vigilante in 1989. But, of course, he’s not really a superhero; the Punisher is more of a serial killer, slaughtering the countless criminals who cross his path. The Punisher was a natural fit for the Marvel Netflix world, where he was played by the superb Jon Bernthal, and – given reports Marvel Studios is bringing back Charlie Cox as Daredevil – it would be great to see Bernthal reprise the role. There’s simply no way to do justice to the Punisher without a lot of violence, simply because he works best as a contrast to other superheroes.
Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac will play the MCU’s Moon Knight, making his debut in an upcoming Disney+ TV series of the same name. The show has been described as a “wild, wild” Moon Knight experience, and one can expect something unique from Marvel here. It’s unlikely any MCU content made for the streaming service will ever be R-rated, at least until Star rolls out in the United States as well, so that’s probably going to be PG-13; still, it would be great to see the wider Moon Knight franchise become a little more varied. An R-rating would allow a Moon Knight movie to explore themes of horror and suspense, stepping into the troubled mind of Marc Spector in ways even the “wild, wild” Moon Knight show can’t manage.
Blade
The Blade franchise is something of a legacy for Marvel, because without it they’d probably never have gotten any success making films in the first place; even Kevin Feige has openly conceded the debt the MCU owes to the vampire horror films that starred Wesley Snipes. Given that’s the case, it’s to be hoped Mahershala Ali’s new Blade will be a worthy successor to the mantle, and that’s really only possible with an R-rating. Like several other members of the Midnight Sons team in the comics, Blade is brutal and violent; his opponents are even more so, because they literally drink blood. Frankly, a non-R-rated Blade would seem tame.
Ghost Rider
Another of Marvel’s supernatural Midnight Sons, Ghost Rider is the Spirit of Vengeance – which means he too occupies a corner of the Marvel Comics universe that’s noted for its violence and gore. Often appearing alongside copious amounts of death, demons, and destruction, Ghost Rider is one of Marvel’s most R-rated characters in general. Previous poorly-reviewed Ghost Rider movies have been frankly disappointing, in part because they failed to capitalize upon the supernatural horror of the flaming skull. Rumours abound that Marvel Studios is working on a new Ghost Rider, and Marvel recently filed an LLC called “Richmond Street Productions LLC”. Danny Ketch, the second Ghost Rider in the comics, is tied to Cypress Hill Cemetery in New York, which is situated near Richmond Street. Assuming this is a Disney+ TV series, it’s not going to be R-rated – but, as with Moon Knight, Marvel could choose to tell a range of stories.
Elektra
The final name on this list is Elektra. Marvel Studios has never liked repeating what has been done well before, and the simple truth is that Marvel Netflix did Daredevil very well indeed; thus the MCU is likely to draw upon some different comics for inspiration. That would fit with Charlie Cox’s apparent return as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, hardly the best film to launch an R-rated franchise. But the ninja assassin Elektra has never really been brought to life in a successful way before, whether on the big screen or the small. An R-rated film in the MCU starring the Hand’s deadliest killer would potentially switch things up just enough to make Elektra a hit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
