Comic-book caper gets adult rating as Disney joins the dark side
Scarlett Johansson hints that female superhero has issues younger children may not be allowed to see
WITH their comic book characters, not to mention the merchandising available in every toy shop and supermarket across the land, superhero films are a sure-fire way to keep children entertained.
But Marvel could disappoint its legion of younger fans after reportedly looking at plans to give their forthcoming blockbuster, Black Widow, an adult rating.
Scarlett Johansson will star in the film, a spinoff centred on the character created by the late Stan Lee. A movie blogger this week said there were rumours the plot would explore darker themes than any Marvel film that had gone before, “so if [Black Widow] ends up Rrated, don’t be shocked”. The report fits with a comment by Bob Iger, CEO of parent company Disney, who said in 2017: “There might be an opportunity for a Marvel-r brand.” The move would mark a departure for Marvel. Until now, they have had more fun with the genre than their rival, DC Comics, which in 2008 took superheroes in a grittier direction with the release of The Dark Knight, followed by Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
An R-rating in the US does not necessarily translate to an 18 certificate in the UK – last year’s Deadpool 2 was rated 15 – but it would certainly not get the 12 or 12A rating usually given to Marvel films, and the company would potentially lose huge sums in merchandising sales.
Black Widow’s bleak back story would lend itself to a higher age-rating. Born Natasha Romanoff in Volgograd, she endured a traumatic childhood in a KGB indoctrination facility and was moulded into the perfect spy. She went on to have a doomed romance with Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk.
The film is set to begin filming in March and is slated for release in 2020.
‘The character has a tortured past. She’s made a lot of difficult decisions. She has a lot of trauma. She’s got issues. There’s room to work them all out’
In an interview last year before the film was confirmed, Johansson hinted that there was a darker story to tell.
“I think there’s room for it,” she said of a spin-off. “The only way to do it would be if it were something that we’ve never seen before that was really groundbreaking and incredibly badass. I think it could be something really special. There’s a lot of room there. “The character has a tortured past. She’s made a lot of difficult decisions. She has a lot of trauma. She’s got issues. There’s room to work them all out.” Johansson’s recent career choices have caused controversy. She was caught up in a “whitewashing” row after taking the lead in Ghost in the Shell, an adaptation of a Japanese manga story.
The actress said she had not meant to be offensive and thought it was important to take the role because “having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity”.
In July, she was criticised for accepting the role of a transgender man in Rub and Tug, a film set in the Seventies.
She dropped out, saying she was glad the debate had “sparked a conversation about diversity and representation in film”.