Snyder Cut of Justice League May Be Rated R

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Kids may have to bypass their TV’s parental controls if they want to see their favorite DC heroes. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Zack Snyder said that he expects the Snyder Cut of Justice League to be rated R. While the film/miniseries – evidently it will be both, as Warner Bros. hopes to release the Snyder Cut in theaters as well as on HBO Max, like the rest of its 2021 lineup – has yet to receive a rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, some elements of the new version lead the filmmaker to believe they’ll give it an adult rating. Specifically, Snyder references a scene in which “Batman drops an F-bomb” and that Cyborg “is not too happy with what’s going on with his life.” He also mentions Steppenwolf engaging in extreme violence as he hunts for the Mother Boxes. Additionally, Snyder throws in his two cents about Warner Bros.’ release plan, saying that he hopes it’s a short-term way of coping with coronavirus and that things will go back to normal before long.

I guess this shouldn’t be too surprising; Snyder has been going dark with his DC films and has made some strange comments about how bleak and disturbing he believes the DCEU could go. But it still feels wrong to have a movie with Batman, Superman, and the rest of the DC all-stars getting an R rating. I know the DCEU is supposed to be “more adult,” but you can push the envelope too far, and I don’t think you need to get that gritty with the Justice League. An R rating works for someone like Deadpool, or Wolverine, or even Snyder’s Watchmen, but some things can be for the whole family – up to a point, at least. I don’t mean they should be the equivalent of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but you don’t have to go so far as to have Batman telling people what to do with themselves. I do like Snyder’s statements about the movie releases, though, in part because they echo my own. In particular, I appreciate how he refers to the response as “knee-jerk;” I don’t think that’s necessarily true of the studios, who probably considered the pros and cons of this carefully, but I do think it’s true of the governments that have forced the studios to think of something on the fly. I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but I’d venture a guess that Snyder believes that too, and that makes me like him even more.

What do you think about the Snyder Cut of Justice League being rated R? Will you see it in a theater if it’s released theatrically and you’re able to go? Has the Flash unleashing an expletive-laden tirade been a long time coming? Let us know in the comments and stick around Geeks + Gamers for more movie news!