Daily News for Marvel Movie

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Summary

• Feige's comments confirm Blade will be rated R, showing Marvel is learning from Deadpool's success.
• Blade's R-rated status won't hurt the MCU's brand based on Deadpool & Wolverine's reception.
• Marvel may explore more R-rated projects following Deadpool's box office success.

Kevin Feige's recent Blade comments prove Marvel learned an important lesson from Deadpool & Wolverine's success. The MCU's Blade is still stuck in development purgatory, as it doesn't have a director and hasn't started shooting. Indeed, Wesley Snipes' Blade has now appeared in the MCU before Mahershala Ali's, who was first announced for the role in 2019. However, Feige remains confident about the project, and recently made an exciting confirmation in an interview with BlackTree TV, saying the film would be rated R, since the rating is, "like Deadpool, inherent with the character of Blade."
Feige's comments are intriguing as it was uncertain if the MCU would delve into more adult territory after the very R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine. Blade doesn't have to be rated R, but it's good to know that the MCU timeline will get the foul-mouthed, blood-soaked vampire hunter that audiences are used to. This also shows that Marvel learned a valuable lesson after Deadpool & Wolverine's success that could lead to more mature Marvel projects in the future.
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Blade's R-Rating Shows Marvel Learned It Can Create Mature Content Without Hurting The Brand Deadpool & Wolverine is performing incredibly well at the box office. The Deadpool sequel crossed $550 million at the worldwide box office, and had a tremendous opening weekend, grossing $211 million domestically. The movie shattered the opening weekend record for an R-rated film, previously held by Deadpool at $132 million. It's well on its way to $1 billion worldwide, becoming the first MCU film to reach that milestone since Spider-Man: No Way Home.
What this record-breaking opening weekend proves is that R-rated MCU projects do not hurt the brand. Audiences wanted a break from the MCU's safe tone, and Deadpool & Wolverine was a breath of fresh air. It doesn't hurt the brand, since audiences expect more mature content from Deadpool, and it didn't include familiar Marvel characters who aren't known for cursing or making sexual jokes. Since Blade hasn't entered the MCU yet, Marvel can create a different environment for the character, allowing him to exist in his own R-rated bubble.
Is Marvel Working On Any Other R-Rated Projects? Close Blade is currently the only R-rated movie being developed by the MCU, but that could change after Deadpool & Wolverine's box office results. It would be surprising if The Fantastic Four: First Steps or Avengers 5 & 6 took a more mature route, but Marvel is starting to explore darker and grittier projects for Disney+. Echo was TV-MA and featured graphic violence that resembled the Marvel Netflix universe, and Daredevil: Born Again is also expected to go in that direction, with many changes signaling it will be a continuation of the more mature Netflix series.
Born Again's changes and the confirmed rating of Blade show a needed change is happening at Marvel. The studio is starting to experiment more with the stories it tells while also trusting that audiences can handle darker, more adult stories. DC and the Fox universe showed R-rated superhero projects can be successful, and the MCU appears to be beginning to adopt this approach with a number of its own releases too.
Blade (2025)
Release Date November 7, 2025 Studio(s) Disney Cast Mahershala Ali , Delroy Lindo , Aaron Pierre Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe Upcoming Marvel Movies
Release Date
Captain America: Brave New World
February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*
May 2, 2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
July 25, 2025
Blade
November 7, 2025
Avengers: Doomsday
May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars
May 7, 2027
Source: BlackTree TV