An absolute certainty with “Deadpool & Wolverine” is that aside from sprays of red mist entering the atmosphere, Ryan Reynolds will turn the air blue with the NSFW language he’ll be throwing at anyone in earshot as the Merc with the Mouth. That’s what comes with the “Deadpool” threequel being the first R-rated film to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe and really testing the waters for the franchise’s future. Marvel Studios has already made a conscious effort to give its audience a more brutal hero, with “Echo” earning a TV-MA rating and “Daredevil: Born Again” looking to follow suit. That being said, who’s to say that former family-friendly heroes can’t venture into more mature territory after Wade’s big screen litmus test?
What’s stopping Sam Wilson after “Captain America: Brave New World” getting the occasional tougher rating, putting him apart from Steve Rogers’ captaincy or bumping up the “Thunderbolts” to an R-rating whenever they arrive? We don’t even need to venture into super schlocky stories like when Deadpool or The Punisher killed the Marvel Universe, either. Instead, stories like Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ “Marvels,” which follows an everyday Daily Bugle photographer covering and having conflicting views about super people walking among society, could be brought to life, proposing more adult topics in this ongoing universe.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how many four-letter words Wade dishes out in his MCU debut. The mature themes and conversations that could come from the character’s inclusion in the franchise might change it for the better.
