Live-action DC movies have a reputation for ambiguity, but their animated counterparts are in a class of their own.
The MCU’s biggest rival may have beaten it on the big screen, but DC’s small screen releases have long put Marvel to shame. This trend continued for years before the start of the MCU, and has not slowed down due to the many DCU (or is it DCEU?) adaptations. It’s still the best branch DC has to offer, outside of classic comic books, and another animated hit recently joined the stacked ranks of Tomorrow emissions by Justice League: Warworldreleased in July 2023.
Latest Justice League flick follows a number of DC favorites – including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Martian Manhunter – as they are thrust into several new worlds, including one where gladiatorial combat is the foundation of society. Trapped in a brutal and relentless environment, the team of heroes come together and lead the people of the planet to freedom. The surprise rating of the ‘R’ film may set it back a bit, however, as some viewers are staying away from the mature release.
Justice League: Warworldand the R rating
It’s pretty rare for a comic book movie to sport an R rating, so why not War considered “limited?” The film generally includes all the usual elements of a superhero film, with plenty of popular heroes, but its rating prohibits young viewers from tuning in. in. This, according to the film’s producers – Jeff Wamester, Jim Krieg, and Butch Lukic – is due to the violence that was present in the 2023 release.
Wamester joked that nudity was behind the ratings in an interview with Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con, noting that “the nudity is delicious,” before Lukic jumped in with the real person which was the culprit behind the film’s higher-than-expected rating.
“It’s mostly rated for violence,” he said. “There’s a lot of bloodshed, sword fighting, and gunplay.” The R rating is reported to be entirely inspired by Warmore violent scenes – even IMDb confirms that the film is “Rated R for some bloody violence.”
That’s despite Lukic’s claim that, aside from those more violent scenes, the flick should be rated PG-13. Animated gore is still considered adult content, however, so the film recommends adult guidance for viewers under 17.
