‘Venom’ Sequel May Get R-Rating Thanks To Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’

Tom Hardy Venom Joaquin Phoenix Joker

The Venom sequel may just get an R-rating thanks to the wild success of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.

It should be obvious by now that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker was an unprecedented success in the sense that it’s the first R-rated, villain-led comic book film to hit a billion dollars at the box office. Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker was certainly poised to be a success, but the level the film has reached has quite literally changed the way moguls and producers are going to be approaching their films. In fact, one film that’s considering an R-rating is the Venom sequel, while once again star Tom Hardy.

Speaking with Cinemablend, Venom producer Matt Tolmach discussed how he and the studio are exploring the possibility of an R-Rating, a prospect that was inspired by Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.

“I mean, I think you always have to think about [it], now that that works. 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. 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.”

It would certainly be an idea worth exploring for the Venom sequel to be rated R, especially considering the first film was expected to gain that rating. Unfortunately, fans got a PG-13 film, but knowing that audiences are turning up to R-rated films like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is promising for the Venom producer.

The taboo surrounding R-rated films seems to have disappeared considering a huge portion of the children who grew up in the mid 2000s with films from the Spider-Man and X-Men franchise are now over 18 and are still invested in the genre. The older they get, the more interested they are in serious, cerebral pictures like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Hopefully, the Venom sequel is able to scratch that exact same itch.

What are your thoughts on the Venom sequel potentially being R-rated? Did you see Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker? Let us know in the comments!

It is widely believed that Venom 2 is the untitled Marvel project Sony has slated for release on October 2, 2020. In the meantime, fans can check out Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, which is still playing in theatres.

The plot synopsis for Venom is below:

The evolution story of Marvel’s most enigmatic, complex and badass character – Venom! Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a broken man after he loses everything including his job and fiancée. Just when his life is at its lowest, he becomes host to an alien symbiote which results in extraordinary superpowers – transforming him into Venom. Will these powers be enough for this new lethal protector to defeat great evil forces, especially against the far stronger and more weaponized symbiote rival, Riot?

Directed by Andy Serkis from a script written by Kelly Marcel, Venom 2 stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, and Woody Harrelson as Carnage. Stephen Graham has been cast in an undisclosed role.

Venom is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Venom 2 and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.

Source: Cinemablend