Venom: Let There Be Carnage finally arrives next month after multiple delays. The movie will bring villainous symbiote Carnage into live-action for the first time and the trailers tease a titanic struggle with Eddie Brock/Venom. Sadly, however, that promised carnage will be a strictly PG-13 affair.
The MPA has just announced that this year’s sequel has received the rating for “intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references.” That sounds promising, though given that the comic book Carnage is a tornado of guts and gore, we should start preparing for him to be toned down a bit.
While this news is disappointing, we probably should have seen it coming. Even after the billion-dollar success of 2019’s Joker, studios have continued to be wary of R-rated superhero/comic book movies. With COVID still impacting the global box office they want to get as many asses in seats as they can, so making the film available to as wide an audience as possible is key.
It’ll also mean fans will keep a very close eye on Disney and Marvel Studios’ treatment of Deadpool 3. This has been billed as an R-rated movie in line with the previous two adventures, though as this will be part of the firmly PG-13 MCU, there may be pressure to pull some punches.
Either way, we’ll find out soon. With a release date now locked in, the promotional campaign is about to kick into high gear, so expect a blizzard of TV spots, various merchandise, and further trailers that’ll give us some hints about what’s coming down the line for Eddie Brock.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage hits theaters on October 15.
