Superhero movies can be fun for the whole family, especially when parents and guardians have been raising their kids on everything from comics, animated series, and video games to the expansive PG-13-rated action movies offered by the MCU, the DCEU, and the even more kid-friendly Spider-Verse. Hell, even Deadpool 2 got a PG-13 edit with Once Upon a Deadpool. But when the R-rated violence and gore of Logan collides with the dirty mouth of Deadpool, do you want to bring your children the theaters?
That’s a decision that we’ll leave entirely up to you. After all, you know your kid better than us. But to help you make a decision that’s best for your family, allow us to be your guide to the “mature” content of Deadpool & Wolverine, with minor spoilers.
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What age is Deadpool & Wolverine appropriate for? How violent is it?
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
If your kid has already seen Logan and/or the first two Deadpool movies, you might think there’s nothing in this team-up offering that’ll shock ’em. But as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman resurrect the MCU through brute force and star power, they bring with them some genuinely jarring on-screen carnage.
For instance, in the movie’s opening, Wade Wilson (Reynolds) desecrates a certain iconic grave and uses the contents inside as weapons in a very bloody melee against some TVA soldiers. More graphic, though, is a later scene in which another (arguably less popular) hero is flayed alive.
Notably, both of these scenes have a comedic tone, so maybe that’ll soften the blow for kiddos.
Is there drug use in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
Drug references, yes. Plenty! Drug use? Very little.
Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) is back, and her drug of choice (cocaine) is the source of a lot of jokes once more. You can get a taste of that at the end of this trailer. But the only drug used on-screen is Wolverine (Jackman) drinking Jim Beam — and in a pinch, rubbing alcohol.
Are there sexual references in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
Yes. There’s nothing so bawdy as the holiday-themed sex position montage of Deadpool. But there’s plenty of references to the Merc with a Mouth’s mound and its various states of arousal, including his mid-fight proclamation, “I am soaking wet right now.”
Otherwise, there’s some close-ups of Deadpool’s red-clothed crotch in a suit-up montage, with the tailor’s hand running over the area. Deadpool jokes the guy’s a “predator.” But the phrase that might get curious kiddos asking you an awkward question is when Deadpool uses the phrase “whiskey dick” when a drunk Wolverine’s claws don’t grow quite as long as we’re used to.
How scary is Deadpool & Wolverine?
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
The graphic violence is often balanced with madcap humor, and its impact lessened by the simple fact that the titular heroes both have quick-healing abilities. But there’s a new level of MCU WTF in the character of Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). The evil twin of Charles Xavier, Cassandra has all the telekinetic power of Charles with none of his pesky conscience to hold her back. Plus, her spin on probing minds is way more disturbing, because she really gets her hands into it. Literally.
We’ve seen Deadpool hop around with broken bones, regenerate baby legs, and blow himself to bits. But nothing in a Deadpool movie will prepare you (or the youngsters) for Cassandra probing her long fingers into a human skull as if it’s Play-Doh. The way she grips Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) by the face like he’s a rotten piece of fruit she plans to drag across town may well bring nightmares.
How much cursing is in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL
A fuckton. Take a look at the red-band trailers for a sense of it. But keep in mind, it’s not just the R-rated mutants Deadpool and Wolverine who’ll be dropping the F-bomb. A wide roster of super-powered cameos will curse in the movie. And one particular star, most well-known for playing a very clean-cut MCU hero, lets loose a torrent of profanity that might well have parents clutching their pearls as kids gape in surprise. Hot tip: If you’re not ready for an extra dose of rough language, clear the children out before the end-credit scene hits.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26.
