Graphic by MPAA, used with permission – A breakdown of each film rating and what they mean.

By Joseph Valencia ’17
THE ROUNDUP

After the recent release of Fox’s “Deadpool,” R-rated films have begun to increase in popularity, especially in comic book films.

“Deadpool” was met with critical acclaim for its dedication to the Deadpool character in portraying him as a violent, potty-mouthed, sexualized antihero. Now, other comic book films are rushing to give their heroes that “gritty edge” in the hopes of attracting a larger audience.

For example, Zack Snyder, the director of “Batman v. Superman,” has announced that he plans to release an R-rated Blue-Ray edition of the film, according to The Comic Book Cast.

This begs a few questions to be asked.

First, why should moviegoers even bother to see the theatrical release of the film if it isn’t the way Zack Snyder intended for it to be?

Secondly, do we live in a world where Superman should be R-Rated?

For Zack Snyder to announce that he will release an R-rated edition of “Batman v. Superman” can insinuate that he views the theatrical release as incomplete. Why then, should people pay the price of admission for a film which has lost the support of its own director?

As for Superman, he is and has been the quintessential superhero for generations, standing for truth, justice and the American Way. A role model for children everywhere.

Should his integrity as a character that children look up to be compromised with an R-rating?

Deadpool deserved his R-rating, as he is a brutal antihero who either serves the highest bidder or himself.

Superman is a hero. A clean and righteous character who would never utter profanities or kill as Deadpool does.

Another film that has announced its R-rating is Fox’s unnamed final installment in the “Wolverine” franchise, where Hugh Jackman is reprising his role as Wolverine one last time, according to Comicbook.com. I agree with this decision more, as Wolverine is similar to Deadpool and has been known to curse and kill.

On the other end of the spectrum, Disney has announced they will not be releasing any R-rated films in their slice of the Marvel franchise, according to The Comic Book Cast.

This announcement was met with outrage, as fans wanted to see the Avengers depicted in the same way Deadpool was.

Unlike Zack Snyder, Disney understood that the Avengers had no business being in an R-rated film. Thus, they refuse to give in to the wave of R-rated comic book films that’s about to hit theatres.

Essentially, Fox did Deadpool’s character a great service by giving him an R-rated movie, as it allowed him to be seen as he was intended to be seen. It was a bold experiment with a grand payoff in the form of an excellent movie.

Unfortunately, many filmmakers learned the wrong lesson from “Deadpool,” and only see the R-rating as a cash grab.