The Batman is set to headline what will be a packed year for DC world in 2022. Matt Reeves will be serving as the film's director, and Robert Pattinson is starring as the Dark Knight alongside Zoë Kravitzs' Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. The released footage from the movie via teasers and trailers has led fans to believe that this could be the most grounded Batman flick to date, with many hoping that it would earn an R-rating.
The noir-style detective film is currently set to debut in theaters on March 4, 2022 after suffering multiple delays. With that release date getting closer and closer, marketing is at an all-time high. Warner Bros. and DC recently released a new trailer for the film, and a wave of Funko Pops! that will be available for purchase sometime in the near future was leaked.
In all of the trailers that have been released for The Batman, fans have gravitated toward the dark tone that has been set up as well as the teases of lengthy and brutal violence, leading many people to believe that it could possibly be the first R-rated Batman film.
Its rating has now been officially revealed, and while it may not be what some were hoping for, it won't take away from the final product.
The Batman is Officially Rated PG-13
The Batman has officially been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for "strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material."
According to Variety, sources stated that the film was able to avoid an R-rating by leaving out nudity and excessive strong language. For fans who are worried that the rating will take away from the violent nature of the movie, sources also revealed that the violence and brutality will still be present, just not in a graphic or gory manner as seen in films like The Suicide Squad.
It was also unveiled that some insiders at Warner Bros. still thought The Batman could have earned an R-rating due to the overall dark tone of the film.
Why Fans Shouldn't Worry About The Batman
Many people hoped that this would be the first Batman movie to be rated R. The trailers showed the Caped Crusader excessively beating up thugs, cars exploding on-screen, and even Batman being repeatedly shot while walking down a hallway.
The Batman could be the most violent and mature on-screen live-action adaptation in history nonetheless. Vengeance has been a term used multiple times throughout the film's marketing. Taking into consideration that it takes place during Bruce Wayne's early years as the masked vigilante, viewers can expect to see the hero go off the rails at some point during the film's runtime.
It is also worth noting that all three of Christopher Nolan's movies in his Dark Knight trilogy were rated PG-13, and they are considered to be some of the best comic book films in history. The Dark Knight especially pushes the envelope when it comes to scenes with Heath Ledger's Joker, as he can be seen committing multiple acts of brutal violence, such as his "magic trick" with a pencil.
That movie is also known for having an excessively dark and grim tone, with the protagonist coming out on the losing side and being driven into exile because of his loss.
Even though an R-rating would have been ideal in the eyes of most fans, The Batman still has the potential and ability to take the character to places that have never been explored before in live-action. With the confirmation that there is still intense violence, as well as the fact that inside sources have said it has a "dark and gritty tone," fans should have nothing to worry about.
The Batman will release in theaters on March 4, 2022.
