Is Deadpool & Wolverine Family Friendly? Just How R Rated Is It? (2024)

has hit theaters, and while it may be the first R-rated movie for the MCU, there are naturally questions surrounding how much it warrants this rating. Deadpool & Wolverine has finally brought the Merc with a Mouth to the MCU alongside his dream companion, Wolverine. The early days of Disney's acquisition of Fox led to much speculation over whether the famously family-friendly franchise would tone down Deadpool's no-holds-barred content to fit within the typical ethos of Disney and the MCU timeline.

Considering Deadpool's legacy both on the page and on the big screen as one of Marvel's most hyper-violent and unabashed antiheroes, fears were thankfully assuaged relatively quickly. While Deadpool & Wolverine's R-rating may have raised concerns that a large swathe of the MCU fandom may be precluded from taking part in Marvel's next big movie, the question remains over whether the release is truly as exclusive as the official age rating would suggest. As such, here is a spoiler-free rundown of what audiences can expect to make their minds up on the matter.

Deadpool & Wolverine Is The MCU's First R-Rated Movie

MCU Movies Are Typically PG-13

The Motion Picture Association of America has given Deadpool & Wolverine a "Restricted" rating. This comes with the following descriptor:

Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.

This rating mirrors the two previous Deadpool movies and indicates the severity of Deadpool & Wolverine's adult themes. It is also the first time that the rating has made its way to the MCU's movie roster, though Marvel TV productions like Daredevil and Punisher boast the equivalent TV-MA rating.

This is a significant development for the MCU as its movies have all been PG-13 until now. While some MCU movies are more violent than others, nearly all shy away from showing more than a drop of (human) blood, replacing it instead with either alien blood or fluid used to power robots. The latter was used to great effect in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as Scarlet Witch is depicted covered in a blood-like substance that came from destroying numerous Ultrons. Deadpool & Wolverine, however, is unapologetically bloody.

Deadpool & Wolverine Is Very Bloody & Violent

Deadpool & Wolverine telegraphed the level of blood, gore, and violence that audiences could expect when the first trailers were released. As the titular heroes tussle, trailers show Wolverine stabbing Deadpool through the groin and Deadpool firing at point-blank range through Wolverine's abdomen. To put it mildly, there is plenty more where that came from in the movie itself, as the MCU takes full advantage of the R-rating and the titular characters' MO. The hack-and-slash violence they engage in is one thing, but their dual healing factors also ensure that they can continue shedding blood and limbs ad infinitum.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched Deadpool and Deadpool 2. Some hyper-violent highlights from these movies include Deadpool's single-bullet triple headshot in Deadpool and Juggernaut tearing Deadpool in two with his bare hands in Deadpool 2. Deadpool & Wolverine treads much of the same gory ground while finding yet more creative ways of inflicting grievous injury. The violence is the most overt justification for the movie's R-rating and may be the most prudent concern for parents wondering whether it is family-friendly.

Deadpool & Wolverine Includes A Lot Of Cursing

A PG-13 rating comes with a rule that one utterance of harsh profanity - described as "sexually-derived" - is allowed. While this is the typical rating for all MCU movies, the MCU's first f-bomb didn't appear until 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. Deadpool & Wolverine has therefore increased the MCU's f-bomb tally one-hundredfold, as the Merc with a Mouth continues to live up to his nickname. His foul language is bolstered by characters like Wolverine, who also delivered X-Men: First Class' curse word allocation in 2011.

Deadpool & Wolverine's R-rating means there is no upper limit on the amount or nature of curse words that characters can deploy. While this means that f-bombs rack up to the point where they almost become trivial, it never feels overly gratuitous, and audiences can expect to hear the same level and intensity of profanity featured in both Deadpool and Deadpool 2. With that in mind, Deadpool & Wolverine is on a par with its predecessors in most adult-themed areas - though it does rein in one R-rated factor.

Deadpool & Wolverine Includes Some Sexual References

Like the violence and profanity, the first Deadpool & Wolverine trailer laid out that sexual references would also be present in the movie as Wade Wilson jokes about pegging. While this is not the only sexual reference in the movie, the remainder follow a similar vein and are always part of a joke that - like most others in the movie - is swiftly brushed aside. The notable difference between this and Deadpool is that Deadpool & Wolverine stops at references and innuendos rather than depict actual sex scenes that feature the aforementioned activity.

Taken together, Deadpool & Wolverine could be considered marginally more family-friendly than previous Deadpool installments, though it is still far from toned down. It is worth noting that it earns its R-rating and is worlds apart from the movies that typically comprise the MCU regarding mature themes and imagery. With that in mind, parents may wish to approach this movie with caution, basing the decision on the example set by Deadpool and Deadpool 2.

It is likely, meanwhile, that Marvel will somehow cater to the audiences that missed this installment and its implications on the wider MCU narrative in some other way. Once Upon a Deadpool was Fox's way of affording younger audiences the chance to catch up on the story in a more PG-friendly context. Whether Marvel does this with Deadpool & Wolverine in some capacity remains to be seen, but it is safe to say that this particular release is not one of Marvel's kid-friendly movies in its current state.

R

A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Director

Shawn Levy

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Cast

Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney

Runtime

127 Minutes