Who knew a film with The Rock could be so … violent? The first four (!!!!) versions of Black Adam had to be cut down and censored in order to bring the rating from an R rating by the MPAA down to a PG-13 rating, according to a Collider interview with film producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn. While there have been plenty of rated-R films in the DC Universe, the film was intended to reach a larger audience than those over the age of 17 (or under 17 with a parent or legal guardian). The filmmakers, along with Dwayne Johnson, wanted to “honor†Black Adam’s gritty and violent origin story, as he’s “known for his aggression and violence.†It was only “four or five weeks ago†that the film finally achieved a PG-13 rating from the MPAA by removing several scenes with violent deaths of Black Adam’s enemies. However, if you’re hoping that the next potential installment might take it to the next level, you may be in luck.
The head of DC Films, Walter Hamada, has stepped down from his position this week, which means the future of DC films could be venturing into new territory and a possible Black Adam vs. Superman film, per Johnson’s plea. It even opens up the door for a new DC project from James Gunn, as The Hollywood Reporter reveals that allegedly Gunn and Peter Safran are in discussions with Warner. At the very least, it could hopefully just lead to an uncensored version of Black Adam. We want all ten kills!