Marvel Character’s Death in The Avengers Became a Huge Problem For Director Joss Whedon
Everyone loves a good superhero movie! Big fights, cool gadgets, saving the day – it’s fun for all ages. And there’s no doubt that superhero movies are box office gold, often landing in the top-grossing films of the year. But there’s a secret to their success: a PG-13 rating. However, one of the biggest superhero films almost went rogue. It is none other than The Avengers, which narrowly escaped an R rating.
The film brought in a massive $623.3 million worldwide, which was a super impressive amount for the time. This helped the movie climb the charts and become one of the biggest hits of that year. But it wasn’t just about the money. The Avengers was a major win with fans, too. It brought together people who loved all different superheroes and turned them into a team. It became a symbol of working together to beat villains, no matter what the odds.
The Avengers Almost Rated R Due to Graphic Scene
Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed that The Avengers was originally rated R by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) because of one bloody scene. Remember Agent Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) death scene? Well, in the first cut, it was way more graphic as he gets brutally stabbed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
This graphic imagery almost landed the film firmly in R territory. That violence was a no-go for a PG-13 rating, so they had to tone it down for the final movie. As Feige told Movies.com (via Huffpost) :
When we submitted ‘The Avengers,’ the first couple cuts of it came back from the MPAA rated R. That happened twice. So we went back and had to make adjustments. Whenever you impale somebody from their back and the blade comes out their chest, there are issues.
As a result, Whedon changed the scene by cutting away from the shot and adding a scary sound instead. Back then, The Avengers was the highest-grossing superhero movie ever with a PG-13 rating. It wouldn’t have been as big if it was rated R.
MCU Welcomes its First R-Rated Film
The very first R-rated Marvel film released under the MCU is actually still upcoming! It’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which is set to make history for its mature content. However, there have been R-rated Marvel movies outside the MCU before, such as Blade: Trinity.
But why did it take so long for R-rated movies to make space in the MCU? Well, here’s why — R-rated superhero movies are rare because studios like Marvel want everyone to watch. PG-13 means families can enjoy together, which leads to more ticket sales!
Not every superhero story needs to be super gory anyway. There’s plenty of action without all the violence. Studios crave a wider audience to see their movies, so they prefer PG-13 since it lets both parents and kids enjoy the film together.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to release on 26th July 2024. Meanwhile, you can watch The Avengers on Disney+.
