The MCU has always been a PG-13 fun for the whole family franchise, on the big screen at least. With TV series such as Daredevil and Agents of SHIELD having taken the MCU outside its comfort zone into violent and more mature content, fans have become increasingly enamored with bringing R-ratings to the universe, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is no exception.
Ever since its announcement, the Multiverse-hopping sequel has been promised to be the MCU's first horror film, and the trailers have certainly lived up to that. Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man director Sam Raimi is on board to direct which couldn't be more fitting given his history with both the superhero and horror genre.
As fans continue to call for the MCU to take a risk with its first R-rated movie, an honor that looks set to be bestowed on Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3, Multiverse of Madness has received its expected PG-13 rating, with some intriguing warnings.
Doctor Strange 2 Rating Promises Frightening Scenes
According to Film Ratings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness officially received a PG-13 rating with a warning of frightening imagery.
The PG-13 rating highlights "frightening images," along with violence and occasional language:
"Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images, and some language."
The promise of "intense sequences of violence and action" and "some language" is nothing new for the MCU, with similar warnings given for Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Will Doctor Strange 2 Push the Limits of PG-13?
Director Sam Raimi has a long-standing reputation in the horror genre for throwing plenty of blood and gore in the mix. That obviously won't be possible with Multiverse of Madness' PG-13 rating, but that doesn't mean the director won't push the rating to its limits.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has long been described as the MCU's first horror movie, a promise the trailers have certainly lived up to. Graphic shots have already depicted Wanda covered in the blood of her foes, with reports suggesting there will be plenty more scary scenes related to the reality-bending Avenger.
Over recent years, MCU fans appear to have grown tired of the family-friendly age rating given to every Marvel project, with increasing calls for more mature content like Daredevil and The Punisher. Particularly of late, Disney faced backlash for not going the R-rated route with Moon Knight, and for the youthful rating given to Ms. Marvel.
While Marvel Studios may currently be sticking to its PG-13 guns that have made the MCU so popular, there is plenty of opportunity for more mature content down the line. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3 has already been confirmed to be R-rated and to be taking place in the MCU, and Netflix characters like Daredevil may go down the same path when they eventually lead solo projects once again.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.
