'Wolverine 3' Confirmed To Shoot For R-Rating, But Not Because Of 'Deadpool'

Just a few days after Deadpool stormed the box office with unexpected record-breaking numbers, rumblings surfaced that 20th Century Fox was considering going for an R-rated comic book sequel for the developing Wolverine 3. It seemed like a knee-jerk reaction at the time, but not one that fans were going to complain about. Who doesn't want to see Wolverine get some blood on his claws? But it turns out that Deadpool might not have been much of a factor in that decision by the studio. Find out more below.

THR reports that Wolverine 3 has always been presumed to be a movie that would end up getting an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America when the time came. This is apparently because the level of violence in the script by Michael Green, and presumably language, would end up making the movie something that probably isn't best for kids to see.

The trade notes that the initial teaser poster that debuted at Comic-Con, featuring Wolverine sticking up a middle claw, seems to be indicative of the plan to go for a more intense sequel for adults. But then again, you can flip people off and drop an f-bomb once and still get a PG-13 rating

There's no way of knowing for sure, but the decision to make Wolverine 3 R-rated surfacing after the success of Deadpool does feel a little like that kid on the playground who got a cool new Chicago Bulls Starter jacket just because another kid was wearing one earlier in the week. Sure, I know that reference to a Starter jacket shows my age, but they were all the rage in the '90s, so you're just going to have to deal with it. Either way, an R-rated Wolverine 3 sounds like it could be something cool to see.

But at the same time, there's a part of me that feels bad for the parents who will have to deny their kids seeing the final movie that will have Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. For 16 years there have been kids who grew up with Wolverine in the X-Men movies and in his own franchise, so to all of a sudden make a movie that is expressly for adults seems a little unfair. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see an R-rated Wolverine movie, but I can't help but think of the disappointment for the kids. The good news is that the kids who grew up on early Wolverine are over 17 now, but there may be some younger fans who aren't so lucky.

Anyway, The Wolverine director James Mangold will be back at the helm for Wolverine 3, and the movie is slated for release on March 3, 2017.