There has been talk that the superhero movie bubble will burst at some point, but movies likeDeadpoolandLoganhave opened a new door for studios to explore. More R-rated superhero movies are going to be coming thanks to the success of those two blockbusters. But Marvel Studios isn’t going to be jumping on that bandwagon anytime soon. That said,MarvelStudios PresidentKevin Feigedoes feel there are some important lessons to be learned from the success of movies likeDeadpool.
Kevin Feigespoke withThe Hollywood Reporterduring a recent visit to the Marvel offices in California. During the visit, the man in charge of the MCU spoke a bit about movies likeLoganandDeadpooland suggested that, even though Marvel Studios won’t be exploringR-rated movies, there are things they can learn from what those movies were able to accomplish. Here is what he had to say about it.
“My takeaway from both of those films is not the R rating; it’s the risk they took, the chances they took, the creative boundaries that they pushed. That should be the takeaway for everyone.”
Ever sinceDeadpoolrocketed tomajor successlast year, there has been a lot of talk from various studios about doing other R-rated comic book movies. The thinking seems to be that doing these projects as R-rated movies is what helps spell success. However,Kevin Feigeis suggesting that may be the wrong lesson. It is more about the creativity expressed and the willingness to explore different types of stories within the confines of a comic book/superhero movie. Simply slapping an R-rating on something and addinga little blood and cursingisn’t enough to make something successful and aren’t the key elements that make something likeLoganwork. Or, so seems to be the implication in whatKevin Feigesays here.
Disney CEO Bob Igerhas also said that they have no plans on making R-rated superhero movies in the future. And why would they? Marvel Studios has had consistent success with PG-13 comic book movies and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Fox, on the other hand, has had mixed results with theirX-Menmovies and taking a risk on something likeDeadpoolmade sense for them. Sony also doesn’t have a lot to lose with something like the R-ratedVenommovie they are planning. Marvel studios has set a very specific tone for the MCU and there doesn’t seem to be any logical room for an R-rated movie within that universe. Also, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. And right now, the MCU isn’t even close to broken. It is a well-oiled, money making machine.
Next up for the studio will beGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which debuts on May 5 and already has a ton of positive buzz going for it. That will be followed not long after bySpider-Man: Homecomingon July 7, markingTom Holland’s first solo movie as Spidey in the MCU. Then, later this year on November 3, we will be gettingThor: Ragnarok, which looks like it may finally be the soloThormovie we have all been waiting for. None of these movies are going to be R-rated, but that is not to say they still weren’t able to learn a thing or two fromDeadpool.
