Kevin Feige reveals MCU’s next R-rated movie after Deadpool & Wolverine

According to Kevin Feige, Blade will be the next MCU movie with an R rating after Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine represents the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks in no small part to its graphic violence, foul language, and suggestive content.

And since Deadpool’s known as the Merc with a Mouth, it should come as no surprise that reports claim the new film boasts more than 100 f-bombs in its two-hour runtime.

Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine’s expected success at the box office raises questions about the future of R-rated MCU projects. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has already unveiled which movie will join the ranks next – Blade.

Feige mentions Blade at around the 2:56 mark in the video below:

Speaking with ComingSoon, Feige said Deadpool & Wolverine has an R rating because of the first two movies.

He further noted that doing anything else would not have fulfilled the promise of who the character is and the tone Ryan Reynolds brings to his portrayal.

This same thinking applies to the MCU’s Blade, hence the plan for it to also eventually hit theaters with an R rating attached.

Feige explained, “We’ve been working on a Blade movie for very long… those [original] movies were R-rated, and it does seem like that is part of what is inherent about the Blade character. So that’s an R-rated movie we’re developing, as well.”

He went on to note that R ratings will only be applied to the MCU when it makes sense.

Rating details aside, when audiences will finally get to see Blade return to theaters is another matter entirely. Marvel unveiled the film and Mahershala Ali’s casting as the eponymous character at SDCC 2019.

Since then, two creative leads have exited the long-gestating project, with the original director, Bassam Tariq, being replaced by Yann Demange who left in June 2024. Marvel Studios has not announced who will take over in Demange’s stead.