In a shocking turn of events that most definitely couldn’t have been predicted when we’re talking about a comic book blockbuster starring a pop culture icon that’s coming backed with mountains of toys and lunchboxes to sell, the MPAA has awarded The Batman a PG-13 rating.
Every shred of footage we’ve seen from Matt Reeves’ reboot indicates that the latest stab at reinventing the Dark Knight is going to push that rating right to the very edge, with “strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material” singled out as the main concerns for parents of younger viewers.
However, for reasons that can’t readily be explained, some fans are complaining that The Batman hasn’t upped the blood, guts, and profanity to find itself slapped with an R, as you can see from the reactions below.
Sure, Joker was R-rated and made over a billion dollars at the box office before going on to become an awards season favorite, but let’s not forget that it cost roughly $50 million and Warner Bros. tried their hardest to dissuade Todd Phillips from making it at all.
The Batman is going to be a monster hit, that much we can absolutely guarantee, and it’s not as if we’re going to suddenly discover on opening night that Pattinson’s Caped Crusader has sneakily plopped a pair of nipples and a giant codpiece onto his costume to lighten the mood.
