Blade R-Rating Confirms Marvel Is Building A Violent MCU Corner
Marvel is branching out and stepping away from its usual PG-13 ratings and taking a dip into the R-side of things. According to Blade director, Yann Demange, in an interview with Deadline, the upcoming Mahershala Ali-led film will be a slice spicier than many of its other MCU peers. This will mark the second time in the franchise’s history that it’s branching out and taking on a more adult tone, something that will first be done in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
This Version Of Blade Required An R-Rating To Set The Hero Apart
In his interview, Demange said that attaching an R-rating to Blade was an absolute necessity to properly tell the story. For this heavier subject matter, the director said that he wants to “show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has,” something that he’s certain the production team can reach with Mahershala Ali, whom he refers to as “a deep actor.” Blending that piece of heroic energy with a twist of the dark side is something that sets Blade apart from other characters in the MCU, and a challenge that Demange was more than ready to tackle.
Wesley Snipes’ Blade Trilogy Also Landed R-Ratings
From 1998 to 2004, Wesley Snipes starred as the legendary vampire hunter in a trilogy of films that all carried an R-rating. Letting the language fly and the blood spill, the original Blade series kept audiences coming back for more action time and time again. Because the fresh take on Blade has been stalled so much since its announcement in 2019, it’s been hard for fans to get a handle on what Demange and his team have in store, making the R-rating announcement that much more exciting.
Blade And Deadpool 3 Are The First MCU Films To Receive This Rating
For those diehard Marvel fans who are reading this and saying to themselves that Logan and Deadpool both received an R-rating, this is absolutely true. However, upon their arrival, both titles fell outside the MCU umbrella, thus making Blade and Deadpool 3 that much more exciting. The news surrounding Blade also comes just days after Disney+ and Marvel Studios revealed that their upcoming series Echo would be the first to take on an MA-17 rating.
Mia Goth Joins Mahershala Ali In The Upcoming Film
As for who will star alongside Mahershala Ali, Blade has tapped a wide array of big names including Mia Goth (Pearl), Delroy Lindo (The Cider House Rules), and Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad). With new names still being announced, and Marvel known for its incredible star power, fans can expect the call sheet to only grow in force over the next few months.
Blade Is Scheduled To Release In 2025
For many of us out there, who have been anticipating the revival of Blade, it’s a rough time of 2023 as the film was initially slated to arrive in theaters on November 3. Of course, so much has happened in Hollywood with the recently ended writers’ strike and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that, like many other productions, Blade has been pushed. Initially moved to September 2024, Marvel crushed our hearts all over again when they gave it an even further release date of February 14, 2025.
Deadpool 3 Kicks Off The MCU R-Rated Outings Next May
As for Blade’s R-rated predecessor, Deadpool 3, audiences can expect to catch the next installment in the Ryan Reynolds-led franchise on May 3, 2024. This at least gives us a dip into what to expect Marvel’s new more adult-driven route and will paint a picture of what we can expect from Mahershala Ali’s vampire-hunting character.
