Superhero movies are arguably the most popular genre in the modern film world, with plenty of studios getting in on the action with their own cinematic universe. As such, some actors and filmmakers have pivoted from one studio to the next. James Gunn is a prime example, as the Guardians of the Galaxy visionary took a gig directing The Suicide Squad for DC following his brief firing by Marvel. Fans are eager to see what Gunn will do with the villain-centric property, including its mysterious rating. And it turns out that the filmmaker already knows what his upcoming blockbuster will be rated.
The past few years have seen an interesting change in the superhero genre, with directors no longer pigeonholed into making a PG-13 movie. Projects like Deadpool and Logan broke new ground by proving an R-rated comic book adaptation could still make plenty of money at the box office. Considering that The Suicide Squad should feature plenty of character deaths, fans are wondering what it might be rated. One fan asked Gunn this very question on social media, to which he said:
How delightfully cryptic. It looks like James Gunn shot The Suicide Squad with one particular rating in mind. But considering how far out from the movie's release we are, the filmmaker isn't willing to share any details at this point.
James Gunn's comments comes from his personal Twitter page, which the filmmaker regularly uses to directly communicate with the rabid fans. Despite briefly losing his job at Marvel over Twitter, he's reclaimed the social media outlet in the years since. He recently did an informal Q&A with the fans, where the subject of The Suicide Squad was eventually brought up. Gunn's plans for his DC blockbuster are a complete mystery, although he assembled a stellar cast to make it into a reality.
While the MCU has yet to produce an R-rated blockbuster, DC seems more open to the idea. Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey was given an R-rating, allowing Harley Quinn and company to be as violent and foul mouthed as they'd like. The Suicide Squad will also focus on villains, so it seems like a great project to take the more adult route. But for now the fans will have to wait and wonder.
When James Gunn met with Warner Bros. about helming a DC movie, he was given his choice of properties. The filmmaker is a hardcore comic book fans, but he ultimately decided on The Suicide Squad. The movie is a semi-sequel to David Ayer's original Suicide Squad movie, which failed to impress audiences and critics when it hit theaters on 2016. But something tells me that Gunn will have a very different approach to the titular team as his predecessor.
Considering the team's name, it makes sense that The Suicide Squad might be a more adult, R-rated adventure through the DC Extended Universe. The group of villains are put on thee missions because they're expendable. So we should expect quite a few fatalities throughout the movie's runtime. An R rating would allow these deaths to be more bloody and over the top.
David Ayer's Suicide Squad was rated PG-13, and there weren't a ton of deaths or grit in the blockbuster. The only member of the team to perish was Slipknot, so it wasn't exactly a Suicide Squad at all. But something tells me that will change when James Gunn takes control over the property.
The Suicide Squad is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 6th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
