Ah, the R-rated superhero feature; for what joy it has brought in the likes of The Suicide Squad, Deadpool, and The Boys, it’s equally culpable for the likes of Titans, which is confirmed to be going to a fourth season, somehow.
Nevertheless, fans have begged for R-rated superhero flicks in the cinemas time and time again, and with the DC Extended Universe taking punch after punch these days, one redditor has suggested that a reset of the universe is imminent, and asked the rest of r/DC_Cinematic if the producers should take this opportunity to launch into R-rated territory full time.
The general consensus seems to be in favor of a case-by-case basis, suggesting that a film should only receive an R-rating if it’s appropriate for the type of character or story the movie surrounds; Superman, for instance, should probably steer clear of an R-rating, while Red Hood would probably be more at home with one.
One user also pointed out that while seeing these characters in R-rated movies tends to allow for more interesting developments, DC Comics superheroes have historically been beloved by all ages, and alienating younger viewers could be ultimately detrimental to the brand and its audience.
Another user compared the situation to the MCU, suggesting that it would be unwise to take a hands-off approach from R-rated films like the media giant tends to do, even though it seems to have worked out for them pretty well.
And one other responder simply found the notion of a DCEU reset to be particularly hilarious.
Whatever approach it embraces going forward, the DCEU needs to find its special sauce quickly; we can only take so many Batgirl situations before we stop taking it seriously.