If anything, this year has turned out to be a great one for comic book movies. Already, we’ve been impressed by the likes of Captain Marvel, Shazam! and Avengers: Endgame, with Spider-Man: Far From Home looking to swing into theaters next month and continue the streak. And before long, we’ll dive deep into some real madness when Joker storms cinemas this fall.
Of course, it’s important that we note not to expect your usual superhero fare with the pic. In fact, the first reaction to the movie called it “a series of punches to the gut.” Anyone who’s followed the production will know that director Todd Phillips has been aiming for something different, so that’s hardly cause for concern. After all, it’s not like we’re meant to root for the Clown Prince of Crime, right?
Continuing on that note, it’s now been confirmed by Phillips himself – over on Twitter – that Joker will indeed arrive in theaters with an R-rating attached to it. This is something that’s been rumored/assumed for a while now, but it’s nice to finally get confirmation directly from the man in charge.
An R-rating makes sense, too, as we imagine that the studio probably figures that if they’re telling the story of a true madman like the Joker, they can only do so by pulling no punches. Really, if they’re going to make this movie, it has to be done right and the only way to do that is by showing the true instability of the character’s warped and twisted mind. Something that simply cannot be done with limitations.
In any case, though Joker was met with a fair amount of skepticism upon its reveal – and understandably so – it’s clear that a lot of people are now warming up to it. And with a considerable amount of time to go before it arrives in theaters, Warner Bros. still has the chance to win everyone over before Todd Phillips’ feature debuts on October 4th.