DC Universe Doesn’t Want Your Children Watching Upcoming Movies
James Gunn recently revealed that many upcoming DC Universe projects would be R-rated.
Every comic book fan knows that, even if comics are illustrated, they’re definitely not all for kids. The same is true of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe projects. The former told DC.com that the ratings for its new films and series “[depend] on the story.”
“We’re going to give every story what it deserves. Some things we know. Superman is definitely something we know we’d like to be PG-13, so I’m going to make sure it is. Other things, like the Waller TV show, are a little bit more mature. And we have other things that are aimed a bit more at young women or at kids that are still within this world.”
James Gunn
At the end of January, 10 big new projects were announced for the DC Universe, with the flagship film being Superman: Legacy. This film is set to introduce the new generation of DC characters to audiences and will be the start of one interconnected universe, much like Marvel’s MCU.
The upcoming Shazam sequel will lead into Flash, starring the embattled Ezra Miller, which, according to Gunn, “resets everything.” Then comes Blue Beetle, which will be unrelated to all the other DC films. Next up is Aquaman 2, the last of the previous DC Universe regime’s projects, before Superman: Legacy hits theaters in the summer of 2025. This film sets up everything to come, and ties everything together.
Just because everything and every character exists in the same universe doesn’t mean all the content will be created equal, however. Waller, for instance, will be a darker story within the DC Universe and will see Viola Davis return as Amanda Waller, the ruthless leader of a shadowy government task force. This kind of story can’t be told in full, rich detail if it is bound by a PG or maybe even PG-13 rating, so it makes sense that it would be given an R rating that makes it off-limits to kids.
Superman: Legacy, on the other hand, will be more accessible, in part because it is meant to be the centerpiece of this collection of films and shows. Its expected PG-13 rating also makes sense because it is about a younger, more wholesome-sounding version of Superman who is trying to reconcile his Kryptonian birth with his American upbringing, as well as find a way to keep being a kind person in a world where kindness is now seen as somewhat of a weakness.
On the other hand, DC Universe’s The Brave and the Bold film will most likely get a more mature rating. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is where we will meet the official DCU Batman, as well as his “murderous” tween son, Damian Wayne, who is both his sidekick Robin and, in the words of James gun, “a little son of a bi***.” With a kid who was raised by assassins, a child-friendly PG rating seems a bit out of reach.
Other upcoming DC Universe projects without ratings yet attached include Booster Gold, an HBO Max series that follows a guy who uses future technology to come back to our time to try to convince others that he is a superhero, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a feature-length film that will follow a darker, perhaps more realistic version of Supergirl, Superman’s cousin who didn’t leave Krypton for Earth until she was 14 years old, after having seen all of her loved ones die.
Supergirl, as well as Paradise Lost, a Game of Thrones-esque HBO Max series set on the island of Themyscira, where Wonder Woman was born, sound as if they may be better suited for more mature audiences as well, so it looks like some parental guidance will definitely be necessary when it comes to the watching the upcoming content from the new DC Universe.
