Survey reveals moviegoers want more R-rated superhero movies

March 3rd 2017, 10:20am

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

With LOGAN offering bloody kills and DEADPOOL bathing in glorious profanity (and bloody kills), audiences are seeing some of their favorite heroes behave how they’ve seen them in the comics, and to much success. Still, studios are treading carefully, and trying to offer marketable PG-13 superhero films, in hope they’ll reach the broadest demographic. However, if this new survey is any indication, that may need to start changing.

A recent Fandango survey discovered that 71% of recorded filmgoers wished more superhero movies were rated R, while 86% were excited to see an adult, violent X-Men movie this weekend with LOGAN. This comes one year after DEADPOOL destroyed all expectations with a $363 domestic take, and $783 million globally, besting all other films in the genre outside of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR and BATMAN V. SUPERMAN (which POOL beat domestically).

This comes not only on the heels of audiences wanting more adult comic book movies, but blockbuster films in general. Director Shane Black received plenty of cheers by claiming “PG-13 is for pussies” when referencing his upcoming PREDATOR movie. In addition Joe Carnahan said he believed PG-13 is being exposed as a cop-out, saying all his favorite movies coming up were rated R (DIE HARD, LETHAL WEAPON, etc.)

I believe this idea that an R-rating makes a movie less marketable is becoming more and more exposed as a myth thanks to movies like DEADPOOL and LOGAN being brave enough to take a chance. The people behind those movies weren’t afraid to depict their characters honestly — violence, language and all — and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Sure, families can’t go see them, but I believe that’s being compensated with adults feeling they can see a blockbuster that’s just for them. I can’t see the MCU embracing such a shift (their characters don’t really fit such a rating, to be fair), but I do believe we will see bigger and bigger films embrace the R-rating. Lest we forget MAD MAX: FURY ROAD embraced the R-rating completely, and it won six Oscars.

LOGAN is out now.