Ever since Marvel took a more direct role in producing its own movies, starting with Iron Man in 2008, our expectations have changed. Nowadays we expect blockbuster superhero adventures featuring top-of-the-line special effects in productions.
We also expect those movies to be generally suitable for most of the family, i.e. rated PG-13.
It wasn't always that way, though. Back in 1989, Dolph Lundgren starred in The Punisher, the first R-rated adaptation of a very violent comic book series. (Two more versions would follow.) As the 1990s got rolling, we saw The Crow, Timecop and Judge Dredd, among others, followed by the Marvel property Blade in 1998. (Ryan Reynolds costarred in a sequel, Blade: Trinity, in 2004.) More recently, Watchmen became a big success in 2009, directed by none other than Zack Snyder, who would go on to helm the PG-13 rated adventures Man of Steel and next year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Thus, the upcoming R-rated Deadpool is following an established tradition of films. What is helping to make it stand out from the PG-13 pack, however, is not just its rating but also its very cheeky attitude, as demonstrated in a new poster.
That's the latest in a line of playful yet raunchy promotional material that reflects the essence of its lead character, Wade Wilson, created as a supervillain by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist-writer Rob Liefeld for Marvel in 1991. The character has evolved over the years, transforming into more of an antihero while retaining a very dark sense of humor. That's been captured in photos that have been released, starting with the first official full-body look.
The movie's rating, as addressed by Ryan Reynolds, also pointed toward a very adult movie.
Any doubts were laid to rest by the red-band NSFW official trailer.
The latest poster reinforces the attitude that's been established so far, though it may be pushing the boundaries for some. In the hands of various writers and artists, the comic book series has walked a fine line between outrageous and offensive, especially with its attitudes toward violence and sexuality. We'll have to wait until Deadpool hits theaters on February 12 to find out if the movie has gone too far.
What do you think?
