For Deadpool to be successful, Fox was always going to have to go for the hard R rating. The fans knew that, the filmmakers knew that and the studio knew that. And while we’ve been promised a mature outing all along, now we know just how R-rated it’s going to be.
Earlier today, Deadpool was rated by the MPAA and as expected, it received an R. Furthermore, the ratings board explains that their decision was due to “strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity.”
While that’s no doubt music to fans’ ears, the studio has got to be nervous right about now, and understandably so. As excited as people are for Deadpool, it’s still a gamble for Fox.
If the box office numbers are solid, it could pave the way for a whole host of other R-rated superhero adaptations that have been circling around Hollywood unable to get a greenlight. On the other hand, though, if the film bombs or doesn’t catch on, we’ll be stuck with watered down comic book movies for years to come.
Either way, all will be revealed on February 12th, when Deadpool is dragged kicking and screaming into theatres.
