With mere weeks before James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters, the MCU blockbuster has received its official theatrical rating.
The upcoming Guardians sequel may be the last for this iteration of the galactic team, especially with Gunn off to start his own super-powered universe with DC, but it seems the group is going out with a bang.
The film has been described as a “much more mature" outing for this space-faring band of misfits.
That is not to say it will venture into R-rated territory (something the MCU seems to be saving for the upcoming Deadpool 3), but it will tell a darker story, focusing on Rocket Raccoon's dark origins and the possibility of a few Guardian deaths.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3's PG-13 Rating
Disney has officially confirmed the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) rating for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in anticipation of its May 5 release date.
According to Disney, the costumed blockbuster will be rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references, and thematic elements."
This PG-13 rating is very much in line with the rest of the MCU, with every one of the franchise's blockbusters up to this point having hit that same MPAA mark.
The upcoming threequel has the potential to be one of the darker/more melancholic entries into Marvel Studios' series of blockbusters. That is not to say it will not also carry with it the brand of humor that has become synonymous with the Guardians team, but this will likely be a bit more intense than what fans have seen from the group up to this point.
One film to compare it to would be last year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Doctor Strange sequel shared a nearly identical MPAA rating description with the rating body citing "intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language."
Most of these descriptors are par for the course in the MCU, but it is that "intense sequences of violence" tag that does not get used often in the super-powered franchise.
This likely is in relation to some of the deaths that may be coming in Vol. 3 or - even more likely - is in relation to the horrors that make up Rocket Raccoon's origins - something that has long been teased to be a part of the movie.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters worldwide on May 5.
