Venom 2: Producer Matt Tolmach considering an R rating after Joker’s success

Thanks to the success of Joker, we could see more R-rated comic book films cropping up in the future — potentially including Venom 2.

There was a time when comic book adaptations would never be rated R, as the targeted audience for such films was thought fall into a younger age range. But over the years, we’ve seen R-rated films centered on comic characters crop up — including Deadpool, and most recently, Joker.

And thanks to Joker‘s massive success at the box office, we could see another comic book film embrace an R rating in the near future. In an interview with CinemaBlend, producer Matt Tolmach admitted that he’s considering an R-rated version of Venom 2. And if ever there was a dark story that could use such a rating, it’s this one.

“I mean, I think you always have to think about [it], now that that works,” Tolmach explained. “Having said that, our movie worked really well. Our franchise exists as it is, and I don’t think anybody is looking to just say, ‘Hey, they [did it]!’ We have a place in the world. So it isn’t like suddenly everybody’s considering what to do with the rating. … I think what Joker does is, it tells you that you can succeed. For a very long time, that was the narrative.”

In particular, Joker seems to have confirmed that villain narratives work well with an R rating. After all, movies that follow characters whose moral compasses are the exact opposite of a superhero’s should probably feature some darker, less kid-friendly moments.

And while the original Venom did an OK job of portraying the character’s inclination toward evil, it didn’t go as far as it could have. In fact, it even felt a bit campy or silly at times. We’d hate to see the sequel go down the same path, particularly knowing Carnage is going to be involved. In the Marvel comics, both symbiotes are dangerous beings, and fans would love to see that component of their story brought to life.

And villains aren’t the only characters who benefit from R ratings. Deadpool and Wolverine both saw positive reactions to their own R-rated films, meaning anti-hero stories also seem to mesh well with more mature audiences.

Tolmach continued: “And Deadpool sort of wrestled that to the turf, and then Logan, but for a long time, that was considered totally forbidden. … So you know, I think it’s the greatest thing in the world that R-rated movies are being embraced by massive audiences. And it just means that there are more opportunities for that kind of storytelling.”

The changing landscape is exciting news for adult fans of comic book films, as it means they’ll get to see more mature stories unfold onscreen. Whether or not this will upset younger audiences who might need to wait to see the films remains to be seen. But at least we’re no longer buying into the notion that comic book stories are only for kids.

Would you like to see the Venom sequel get an R rating? Sound off in the comments below.