There were many issues raised about Disney’s acquisition of a majority of Fox’s assets, which was officially announced today. One first and foremost on the minds of comic fans is what will happen to Deadpool. Will Deadpool 2 and future installments of the franchise keep the R-rating that fits the character or will it be toned downed to fit in with Disney’s family-friendly fare?
Disney CEO Bob Iger put these fears to rest in a call to investors announcing the deal today:
“It [Deadpool] clearly has been and will be Marvel branded. But we think there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like Deadpool,” said Iger. “As long as we let the audiences know what’s coming, we think we can manage that fine.”
This fits in with Disney’s already established corporate philosophy. Technically, Disney has already made a number of R-Rated films, just under its Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures or Miramax shingles.
We should make note of one thing in particular Iger said–that there might be an “opportunity for a Marvel-R brand.” I take this to mean that there is a possibility of a branch of Marvel designated just for R-rated films separate from Marvel Studios. If I’m right with this, that means we might have a way to see more Marvel characters adapted with R-Rated films. On the other hand, if this goes through, it might mean these R-Rated films will take place outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so no Deadpool cracking wise with Iron Man.
Of course, this purchase is all dependent on government approval for the sale, which might take some time to work itself out and might not allow happen at all.
