Moon Knighthas finally joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the series was initially teased by Marvel Studios, scoring thesecond-highest debut behindLoki. Oscar Isaac acts concurrently alongside himself asex-Marine, ex-CIA mercenary Marc Spectorand his four other personalities as he assumes the role of the Fist of Khonshu. Marc lives with Disassociate Identity Disorder, a mental illness that causes one to believe that they are living multiple lives as different individuals. The complex nature of Moon Knightin the comics was initially hoped to transfer over into the MCU. Indeed, the conversation between content and television rating truly having a correlation has given way to the concern of whetherMoon Knightshould have been made with the intention of scoring a higher rating that would match the prevalent themes in Moon Knight’s comic book source material. Now that the series is underway, the question is: shouldMoon Knighthave been R-rated?
Related:Is Moon Knight the MCU’s New Batman?
What is the Current Rating for Moon Knight?
The televised rating system operates differently than the Motion Picture Association’s means of deeming which films receive what ratings and why. Because of this,Moon Knighthas been awarded the rating TV-14, which can be viewed as the equivalent of PG-13 if Marvel Studios opted to debutMoon Knightthrough their traditional cinematic outlet instead. While it may sound promising to those who are unfamiliar with Marvel’s previous works, the TV-14 rating falls in line with ratings assigned toWandaVision,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, andLoki. This may be viewed as a disappointing decision made by the creative forces behindMoon Knightas those who have followed the Marvel hero have expected the comics' brutality to echo throughout the series. According toInverse, Marvel President Kevin Feige had assured anxious fans thatMoon Knightwould be “brutal” and “it’s been fun to work with Disney+ and see the boundaries shifting on what we’re able to do." His statement now feels as if it can be categorized as false advertising as the series enters fresh thematic territory in the show’s later episodes while still resigning itself to typical Marvel humor.
Will the MCU Ever Have Rated-R Content?
Moon Knightmay have avoided the TV-MA rating, the equivalent of an R-Rating on the small screens, though the upcomingDeadpool 3will crown itself as Marvel Studios’first R-Rated project. After Disney and Marvel accumulated the rights to Marvel properties previously held captive under the 20th Century Fox licensing, they were able to reclaim the X-Men (including Deadpool) as their own. The inevitable buyout spurred on questions around the long-awaitedDeadpoolthreequel that would now fall into the lap of Marvel Studios. Disney knows that one of their most in-demand characters was far too valuable to abandon altogether and that the thought of excluding Deadpool from its live-action content would result in overwhelming backlash. Marvel Studios has since confirmed that a third film will arrive under an R-Rating. The Merc with a Mouth was originally slated to debut inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, though the plans to include him did not proceed past the early stages of concept art.
“It will be rated R, and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan’s overseeing a script right now… It will not be [filming] this year. Ryan [Reynolds] is a very busy, very successful actor. We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we now have to make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life," Feige said in an interview withColliderthat confirmed the film’s development in 2021. It is assumed that because the Marvel President last spoke onDeadpool 3over a year ago that the film will enter its production phase soon.Deadpooldiehards can collectively share a sigh of relief as their pressing questions were answered.
Related:Does Deadpool 3 Really Need to Be R-Rated in the MCU?
Why Moon Knight Doesn’t Need an R-Rating
