Marvel’s Black Widow as R-rated film is great first step
By Mark Lynch
An R-rated Black Widow movie is a great idea and here’s why.
Black Widow’s solo movie has been teased and in talks for the last few years. It’s also rumored that it will be a prequel going back to the 1980’s and will feature Winter Soldier. Of all the Avengers that haven’t gotten solo movies, Black Widow getting one was an interesting choice. For example, we still don’t know if Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will be a solo movie. It’s weird because the Hulk is a more popular character than Black Widow.
However, there have been rumors about Black Widow’s movie that may make it a perfect choice to start a franchise. Charles Murphy of That Hashtag Show recently reported that there have been discussions on making Black Widow the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first R-rated project.
Here's something I don't think I've ever talked about. When I first heard they were developing the Black Widow film, I also heard they were discussing whether or not to make it Marvel Studios first R-rated film.
— Charles Murphy (@_CharlesMurphy) January 12, 2019
I'm not saying it will be for sure (no way to know what they will settle on at this point), but they have recently said that R-rated MCU films ARE a possibility, so it is a possibility. So if BW ends up R-rated, don't be shocked.
— Charles Murphy (@_CharlesMurphy) January 12, 2019
This may still be nothing more than a rumor, but this is something that could take the MCU to another level.
The MCU has been family oriented since its conception. The groundwork for the franchise has been completed. With phase four coming up, it’s time to start moving characters into different directions. Not all of the characters in Marvel Comics can work in a PG-13 setting. Let’s take the most recent success of the Deadpool franchise. Deadpool’s character is not PG-13. While his new movie Once Upon a Deadpool did come out, the first movie wouldn’t have been a success if they hadn’t gone with their gut instinct and making it rated-R. Also, the movie rating hasn’t affected Deadpool’s merchandise sales. Even kids who can’t see the movie love Deadpool.
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Why this is a good move
Black Widow is an R-rated character and remained a great character. It’s a testament to Scarlett Johansson as an actress and the writers who created her role in the franchize. She isn’t going to be cursing up a storm or using sexual innuendos throughout the movie. What the rating does is give the writers the freedom to tell her story right and get into the graphic nature of her brutal time in the Red Room and also her style of fighting and interrogation.
Natasha Romanoff’s (or Romanova) time in the Red Room was intense. And, as she mentioned in Avengers: Age of Ultron, her ability to have children was taken away from her. Natasha is violent, unrelenting in a fight, and will to do whatever it takes to get the job done. The R-rating could also help get into how she met Nick Fury. There’s no way the two of them met without a lot of cursing and bloody action going on.
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This could be a big move for Marvel. With the Wolverine going over to Disney and Marvel, this gives them a chance to get Logan’s character right from the beginning. It also means that other characters like Sentry, Daken and, and X-23 can be who they are without being watered down. The success of the Black Widow solo movie could determine whether or not they proceed with more R-rated projects. A change in direction could mean the difference between continued success and a downward spiral.