Following the success of Deadpool back in February, speculation started running rampant that Suicide Squad would also end up being R-Rated. Based on the footage we had seen from the movie up until that point, it wasn’t too hard to imagine that happening, but we now know for sure that the DC Comics adaptation will be PG-13.
The MPAA made that official earlier today, but it definitely sounds as if the film is going to push the boundaries of its rating, as it’s been classified PG-13 for “sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content and language.”
Last year, Suicide Squad producer Charles Roven explained why exactly they were targeting PG-13 for the movie and how they could still at least edge towards an R while still remaining firmly within the rating:
“We really want to make these films tonally consistent so that, as I said because this is a shared universe, at least our current thinking—and again, we’re not dealing in absolutes because while this is business it’s also a creative endeavor, so you want to leave yourself open to changing your mind, doing something different, being inspired, that’s the whole process of filmmaking is you have to allow for inspiration as well as having a road map for what you’re gonna do. So our plan right now is to make all these films PG-13. In some cases, you know, right there on the edge of PG-13, but still PG-13.”
Taking this into account, it wouldn’t be remotely surprising to see Warner Bros. release an R-Rated “Ultimate Cut” for Suicide Squad just like they’re doing for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. It clearly wouldn’t take a whole lot to push the movie into that certificate, though the chances of it happening likely depend on a number of factors.
Among them are how well Suicide Squad performs at the box office and how well Batman V Superman‘s Blu-ray sells. Still, at least we know David Ayer has been able to take Task Force X to some dark places.
