There is no denying that Deadpool is a massive success with over $150 million in domestic sales. It was just announced that the next Wolverine film is now aiming for an R-Rating, which is something that Marvel fans have been wanting for years. Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) recently made a statement, however, warning the industry not to jump to the wrong conclusions about the success of Deadpool.
There have only been a handful of successful R-Rated comic book films to date. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) is the most recent adaptation to come out with positive reviews and just announced plans for sequel. The Kingsman Director Matthew Vaughn is responsible for another popular R-Rated comic book film Kick-Ass (2010), which made enough money to produce a sequel, although Kick-Ass 2 (2013) was unable to recreate the popularity of its predecessor.
Director Zack Snyder (Batman v. Superman) is no stranger to the comic book realm. He previously directed two R-Rated adaptations of popular graphic novels. The film 300 (2006) was Snyder’s first time bringing this genre to the big screen and proved to be a success among audiences, however his highly anticipated follow-up Watchmen (2009) was considered to be a flop and went underrated by most.
Deadpool is not the first R-Rated comic book film to be released, but it’s quickly becoming one of the most successful adaptations ever attempted. There are a few other notable R-Rated films based on graphic novels that are worth mentioning: Sin City and V for Vendetta were both released in 2005, and generated a positive response among fans. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) was later released, but failed to produce any substantial box office sales.
The next installment of the Wolverine franchise is said to be Hugh Jackman’s last. He has been adamant about not moving forward with production until the script is perfect. The greenlight from FOX for an R-Rating might be just what Jackman needs to unleash the claws once more. The news of Deadpool 2 has already been announced, so we can expect to see the “Merc with a Mouth” in theaters sometime next year. Hopefully, the successful formula of the first film doesn’t fall flat in the sequel.
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