Disney Plus is a brand associated with content for children, regardless of the genre of the program. However, its streaming platform is gradually uploading adult content. For its part, partner brand Marvel is producing rated R movies that it plans to release on the platform. Some confirmed productions are Daredevil: Born Again series, which features Jon Bernthal reprising his role as the Punisher. Marvel’s Hell’s Kitchen Devil series will not be suitable for those under 17. Despite this, Disney Plus will premiere the series on your platform.
Another concept that many people are not familiar with is the TV-MA rating. This term stands for Mature Audience Only. This rating applies to series and programs and is equivalent to the R rating on movies but could be worse than R-rated content in some cases. For this reason, this content is not suitable for audiences under the age of 18.
Otherwise, the rest of the series and movies continue to juggle to stay at the PG-13/14 threshold. Although with the content we are going to describe below, they take a risk and are R-rated movies and series.
Daredevil: Born Again
Image: Disney+
Disney Plus recently gave Marvel Studios the go-ahead for R-rated movies and series. One of them is Daredevil: Born Again, which will also feature an appearance by the Punisher.
We don’t have much information about the series, but at least the title gives us some clues. Born Again is the story created by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli in 1986. This story arc first appeared in Daredevil #227-231. However, it is unlikely that this story will inspire the new Disney+ series. The third season of the Netflix series Daredevil had several elements from this work. So the title is most likely anecdotal.
This production is among the rated R Marvel movies and series that the streaming platform will introduce. Also, as we already mentioned, it will feature The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal, a rather violent character. Another MCU series with a similar rating on the platform is Jessica Jones.
Blade, a Marvel Movie Rated R
Image: Marvel Studios
Wesley Snipes starred in the original Blade trilogy and achieved massive popularity. In fact, this was one of the first Marvel movies rated R (long before the MCU). Many consider it the precursor to the era we live in now, as it brought resources to the studio to bet on superhero cinema.
Since then, we fans have been longing for the character to return to the scene. The announcement of his return happened in 2019 during the San Diego Comic-Con. Kevin Feige announced at this event that the project was greenlit and that Mahershala Ali would play the iconic vampire hunter. However, in 2023 the Blade reboot has yet to see the light of day. The second official announcement happened at SDCC 2022, revealing that Blade would hit theaters on November 3, 2023, right after Halloween. However, a setback delayed the film, the loss of its director. This incident caused a delay of nine months, until September 6, 2024.
After the film lost Bassam Tariq as director, shooting was put on hold. Some rumors suggest that the problem with this Marvel film was that it was rated R. Others that Marvel did not want to rush into finding a new director. In any case, the new date was announced before the screenwriters’ strike, so further delays are likely to occur.
Deadpool 3, the First R Rated Marvel MCU Movie
Image: Marvel Studios/Fox
Deadpool 3 is the rated R Marvel movie par excellence, as it will introduce this character to the MCU. The first movie Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds achieved both financial and critical success. It earned nearly $800 million with production costs of $58 million. It also became the ninth highest-grossing film of 2016. In addition, this Marvel production broke the record for being the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time.
The film had a sequel, Deadpool 2, which improved the results of the first one. However, what is currently making headlines is the third part of the franchise. The new production of the regenerative mutant went viral after Hugh Jackman confirmed his return as Wolverine for this production. This surprised fans, as the actor had stated that he would not play the character again after Logan (2017).
The character’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe opened the debate, as it would be the first rated R movie of the timeline. However, Disney gave the project the green light, and its shooting has begun despite the screenwriters’ strike. This situation may bring problems for Reynolds, as he will not be able to improvise in the shooting according to MPAA requirements.
This new path of rated R movies at Marvel Studios and Disney will be a tricky one to navigate. The mouse company is known for its focus on children’s content, but now it will have to expand its market if they want to continue to grow.
Featured Image Via Marvel