Why Is Deadpool Rated R And Will Disney's Deadpool 3 Tone Things Down?
"Deadpool 3" is headed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but according to those close to the production, the franchise won't lose any of its edge when it joins Mickey's empire. Since Disney acquired Fox and its studios, fans have been concerned that the entertainment giant, well known for its adherence to family-friendly fare, would water down the "merc with a mouth," losing the R rating the franchise is known for.
Surprisingly, all signs indicate that Disney has remained hands-off with "Deadpool 3" when it comes to content, allowing it to maintain the same bawdy, madcap tone as its predecessors, as well as its R rating. As reported by Comic Book, "Deadpool" star Karan Soni, who plays put-upon taxi driver Dopinder, reported back from the set of "Deadpool 3" to assure fans that the film will live up to its reputation for ribaldry. "I have begun working on that one, so I can say that it is the same as the other two," Soni said. "There's a lot of that stuff, so it does not feel different."
But Soni did note one major difference from the first two movies: "Deadpool 3" has access to the entire universe of the MCU, an intergalactic toy chest the film takes gleeful advantage of. "[Ryan Reynolds] and [director] Shawn [Levy], they work so well together," Soni continued, "that I think it will be really exciting for people to see how they take their collaborations that they've done, now successfully twice, in this new version and play in this massive sandbox with a lot of stuff." That "massive sandbox" Soni referenced is most likely the MCU.
The Deadpool movies earned their R ratings, and Deadpool 3 will do the same
When the first "Deadpool" movie debuted in 2016, it was a game changer for the superhero genre. As the titular mutant, Ryan Reynolds brought his raunchy sense of humor to the fore. The film abounds with jokes that we can't even describe without violating our own content policies, but suffice it to say that from gross-out sight gags to a deluge of cursing, "Deadpool" earned its R rating and then some. After a massive box office success, "Deadpool 2" only doubled down on that approach, leaving some audiences shocked by the sheer audacity of its edgy humor.
Disney, however, is notorious for its desire to keep things family-friendly, a policy it has heavily applied to the MCU. It took until 2023 for an F-bomb to drop in a Marvel movie, a line that was finally crossed with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Now that Disney owns the X-Men, it also owns Deadpool, so fans have understandably worried that the upcoming "Deadpool 3," which brings back Hugh Jackman's Wolverine for the first time since "Logan," wouldn't make it past Disney's infamously censorious Standards and Practices department.
But Karan Soni isn't the first to assure fans that "Deadpool 3" will retain an R rating. In June 2022, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick confirmed "Deadpool 3" will be the same, with Reese claiming, "They are going to let Deadpool be Deadpool."