Little is known about the upcoming DC film Joker, other than the fact that it looks completely twisted. It should then surprise no one that the movie is expected to receive a hard R-rating when it hits theaters.
The origin story of Batman’s most infamous villain is sure to be filled with plenty of depravity and darkness. Factors such as nudity, drug usage, language and violence all play a hand in what rating a feature gets, and given the moral bankruptcy of the titular character, it’s highly possible that the audience will witness all of that and more onscreen.
While comic book adaptations typically try to aim for a PG-13 rating in order to draw in the widest audience possible, it isn’t completely abnormal for these films to lean into an R grade. This strategy worked for blockbusters like Logan and Deadpool, as well as DC’s own popular efforts like Suicide Squad and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which didn’t go for the R but were certainly darker than a lot of their peers.
All of those movies draw in huge crowds, despite their heavier material, and executives are expecting the same will happen with Joker. As viewers witness his descent into insanity, there’s sure to be plenty of deviance that’s unsuitable for all eyes.
WB likely figures that if they’re going to do the origin story of such an iconic madman, the only way to do it is by holding no punches. They know that fans would be extremely disappointed if they saw a watered down version of Arthur Fleck’s dehumanization and so if they’re going to make this film, it has to be done right and the only way to do that realistically is by showing the true instability of the Joker’s warped mind. That simply cannot be done with limitations.
For those of age or planning to attend with a parent/guardian, Joker will hit theaters on October 4th.
