‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’: Why Fans Are Disappointed With the Film’s Rating
Sony Pictures‘ Venom hit theaters back in 2018, so it’s been a while since fans caught up with Tom Hardy’s symbiote. Of course, the film’s post-credits scene teased a sequel with Woody Harrelson’s Carnage as the villain. And assuming there are no further delays, Venom: Let There Be Carnage should arrive this October. That’s prompted excitement among moviegoers, but it’s also led to some disappointment. The Motion Picture Association of America (MMPA) announced the rating for Venom: Let There Be Carnage this week — and let’s say fans are underwhelmed.
What is the rating for ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’?
When Venom: Let There Be Carnage arrives this fall, it will do so with a PG-13 rating. The MMPA website confirms as much, though it doesn’t delve too deeply into what the rating means. Beneath the listing, the association states the sequel is categorized this way “for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material, and suggestive references.”
All of that is par for the course with a Venom film, and arguably, the PG-13 rating was a given as well. Although some fans hoped Sony would use the success of movies like Deadpool and The Suicide Squad to push boundaries, the first Venom didn’t receive an R either.
The film’s director, Ruben Fleischer, told Polygon he wanted to maintain a rating that enabled a wider audience to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage:
”We didn’t want to make a movie that excluded any fans. Venom fans actually are of all ages, and so we wanted to be inclusive to all the fans that were excited about the movie.”
He also added, “I don’t feel like we compromise much,” regarding the sequel’s action.
Why fans are disappointed with Sony Pictures’ PG-13 rating
Despite promises that Venom: Let There Be Carnage didn’t sacrifice much to land its PG-13 rating, fans remain disappointed with yet another kid-friendly outing for the character. They’re doubly upset that Carnage won’t get a storyline as gruesome as his comics counterpart.
One Redditor suggested the studio should “embrace” an R rating, especially after it already took several liberties with Venom’s character:
“Making Venom without Spider-Man is a risk. Making Venom in the most creative way possible to help sustain the comic lore was another risk. Going for PG-13 rating is just dumb. Are they just trying to attract kids or something? Embrace the R, this movie isn’t going to make a ton of money but at least try to give us the anti-hero we deserve unlike Suicide Squad or the first 2 Wolverine movies.”
Other fans lamented Sony’s use of Marvel characters, with one Redditor saying, “Sony, just give Marvel the rights back.”
Of course, Marvel Studios has yet to release an R-rated superhero film on Disney’s watch, though it’s frequently teased it for Deadpool 3. And the Deadpool films seem like the prevailing argument for those wishing to see Venom embrace adult themes.
“I don’t get it?” one fan wrote on Reddit. “I thought Deadpool made it abundantly clear that being rated R doesn’t mean you’ll lose money. If it’s a good movie people will go see it regardless…not looking forward to this movie at all.”
When does ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ come out?
Although fans are disappointed with the rating for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the film could still surprise them. After all, a PG-13 rating doesn’t necessarily determine the quality of the film. Although some viewers feel it goes against the characters’ nature, only time will tell if this proves true.
As for when moviegoers can catch Eddie Brock’s next adventure on the big screen, the sequel arrives on Oct. 15. That places it in the midst of a busy release month — but hey, we’ve waited long enough for this movie.
