Marvel has confirmed Deadpool 3 will be an R-rated MCU movie - and Blade should be as well. Marvel Studios has developed something of a reputation for a distinct "House Style," one that means their films tend to be four-quadrant tentpoles given a PG-13 rating. The last few years have seen an increased demand for more diversity superhero movies and shows, however, with success stories on the big and small screen including the likes of LoganJokerThe Boys, and The Umbrella Academy. Marvel seem to have been reluctant to meet that demand, with public disagreement over whether Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be the MCU's first horror movie. That particular internal debate seems to have ultimately led to Scott Derrickson leaving the Doctor Strange sequel, ultimately replaced by Sam Raimi.

But now Marvel has confirmed Deadpool 3 will be an R-rated movie set within the MCU. The decision makes sense, given the popularity of Fox's Deadpool franchise; Marvel is clearly ascribing to the doctrine of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But this news subtly changes the shape of the MCU, because it means the shared cinematic universe will include content that deviates from the House Style. It's naturally leading to intense discussion over whether or not other Marvel movies will be similarly R-rated.

Related: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked Worst To Best

One of the most interesting future projects is Blade. Marvel delighted fans at the San Diego Comic-Con panel 2019, when they revealed Mahershala Ali has been cast as the MCU's Blade. And if Deadpool 3 is an R-rated MCU movie, then frankly Blade should be as well.

The Blade Franchise Is Historically R-Rated

Blade in a promo image

The MCU may be known for its House Style, but comic books have traditionally been a lot more diverse. For all that's the case, though, Marvel's early years avoided classic horror tropes because they were effectively outlawed by the Comics Code Authority. It wasn't until 1971 that the CCA began to relax its restrictions on horror, with vampires and werewolves allowed. Marvel swiftly responded by launching a Tomb of Dracula series, and in 1973 they introduced the superhero Blade. Creator Marv Wolfman always believed Blade would be popular, but it wasn't until the '90s that he really began to flourish. That was an age when Marvel embraced gritty, dark and violent comics, and a vampire hunter was a perfect fit.

Blade was never one of Marvel's best-known properties, and so it's actually quite surprising he was their first big-screen success. New Line released the first Blade movie in 1998, an R-rated action flick that rejoiced in its blood-and-guts approach to vampirism; an early scene saw vampires partying as blood showered upon them from sprinklers, with their celebrations disrupted when Blade began to slaughter them. Wesley Snipes' popular portrayal had a dramatic impact upon the comics themselves, with Marvel redesigning Blade to correspond with the film version. Both comics and movies (and, ultimately, a spinoff TV series) rejoiced in their brutal, violent vampire hunter hero. There is simply no way to really do justice to Blade's history - in either the comics or his cinematic heritage - without an R-rating.

Blade Could Be Marvel's October 2022 Release

Mahershala Ali and Marvel Phase 4

Supporting this theory, Marvel actually has a mystery October 2022 release that could well be Blade. The MCU's Phase 4 slate has been in a state of significant flux, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Given all the changes to the Phase 4 slate, most viewers have forgotten the studio has an unannounced film scheduled for October 7. That would be the perfect time to launch an R-rated superhero horror franchise, given any movie released on October 7, 2022 would still be in cinemas over Halloween. Fitting with this theory, Marvel has carefully avoided moving anything into that slot, even with all the adjustments they've made to Phase 4 - but they've always ensured Doctor Strange 2 will come out first. This is significant because, in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes (via Twitter), Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige suggested there is a relationship of some kind between Doctor Strange 2 and Blade. "We have, for years, wanted to find a new way into Blade," he observed. "We love that character. We love that world. Now, with Doctor Strange and the supernatural elements coming into the MCU, it felt like we could definitely start exploring that."

Related: How Marvel’s Monsters Changed The Face of Comic Book Heroes

As it stands, Marvel has five movies due out in 2022, including this mystery October release. That's rather odd, because even Marvel don't have unlimited bandwidth, and they'd surely be wary of oversaturating the market. But if that October release was something very different - say, a low-budget R-rated superhero horror that deviated notably from the House Style - those concerns wouldn't be as pressing.

An R-Rated Blade Could Still Release On Disney+

Disney Plus May Add Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly

One of the main arguments against this idea is that, at the moment, almost all MCU content is available on the Disney+ streaming service. An R-rated film would be a poor fit for such a family-friendly service, and it's doubtful Disney will want to further split the MCU between different distribution channels. There are, however, signs this is no longer a problem - because the House of Mouse look set to begin adding mature content to Disney+. In March 2020, Disney polled American subscribers about adding adult shows to Disney+, including the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. While Disney never announced the results of that poll, discussion online suggested people would be favorable to it, so long as mature content had a parental lock.

Speaking at the Disney Investor Day 2020, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced the imminent launch of Disney+ Star in some international markets, a sixth tile on the homepage that would feature just this kind of mature content, and indeed would be available via parental controls. Depending on distribution rights, in some territories this will literally double the amount of content on Disney+, including the likes of Lost, some of the Die Hard films, 24, and The X-Files. It's reasonable to assume it is only a matter of time before Disney launch Disney+ Star in the US as well, presumably once sufficient distribution rights have been regained. That would make this the perfect place to distribute the R-rated Blade movie once it has left theaters.

-

The MCU is expanding, with Marvel clearly willing to step outside their comfort zone and allow different styles of film into their shared universe. While these are sure to remain more the exception than the norm, there's no reason Deadpool 3 has to be the first R-rated movie in the MCU; that honor should fall to Blade, a franchise with a legacy of brutal superhero action. An October 2022 release would be perfect for Blade, and the changes being made to Disney+ suggest there will even be an appropriate distribution channel once the film has left the theaters. This is an option Marvel should take without a second thought.

More: Every Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie

Key Release Dates