While it took the Marvel Cinematic Universe 16 years to release an R-rated movie, DC fans won’t have to wait as long.
Almost two full years after DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled the studio’s opening film and television slate, the DCU is set to officially kick off with the adult animated series, Creature Commandos, on Max on December 5. While the series has been rated TV-MA, essentially TV’s R-rating, the first DCU movie, Gunn’s Superman, is expected to earn a PG-13 rating, which is the go-to rating for most comic book movies.
While the industry has found success with R-rated superhero movies in the past, notably with the Batman villain Joker and the Marvel antihero Deadpool, there are still vastly more PG-13 comic book adaptations being released in theaters. Luckily, for fans craving more adult subject matter, Gunn has revealed that there is “more than one” DCU project close to being greenlit at DC Studios that could end up being R-rated.
In a recent interview with Collider, Gunn explained his approach to figuring out which projects will be made with an eye toward which Motion Picture Association rating. “We’ve got one opportunity to take these characters and really press forward and do what we believe,” he said. “I am a great believer that if we tell good, authentic stories, if a movie does well or doesn’t do as well, if you keep with that same philosophy, that you’re going to build a universe that people are going to love and want to be a part of for a long time.”
Gunn continued, “It’s just about telling a story. If a story is going to be R-rated, we’re totally okay with that. If it’s going to be PG, PG-13, or G, I don’t care — whatever is worthy of the story, that’s what we’re going to do. […] So, we have all sorts. I like the idea of doing all sorts of different things.”
Which characters could receive R-rated DCU movies?
There are several characters and comics published by DC Comics that would be best translated to film with an R-rating, such as John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, Deathstroke, Suicide Squad, and Red Hood. However, while a Swamp Thing movie is in development at DC with James Mangold attached, Gunn has not revealed yet whether it will be an R-rated or PG-13 movie.
The first DCU project, Creature Commandos, premieres on Max on December 5, 2024.
