Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshas been officially rated PG-13. Despite the film’s more horrific elements, the rating means it will fall in line with previous Marvel Studios MCU movies. Directed bySam Raimi, known for his love of dark horror fare likeThe Evil Dead, there is no doubt that Doctor Strange’s latest adventure is going to be darker than its predecessor and the rating makes that clear, stating that it contains “intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.”
While the MCU hasrecently welcomed characters from the TV-MA rated former Netflix seriesDaredevilinto their world and will soon see other R-rated productions such asDeadpool 3coming to Marvel’s ongoing narrative in some way, no one expected a big blockbuster entry likeDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessto stray too far from a rating that would give it the biggest audience possible. However, it seems the movie will undoubtedly be pushing the higher boundaries of the rating and may only have secured it thanks to the “fantasy” setting of most of its horror and violence.
Just prior to theDoctor Strangesequel being taken over by Sam Raimi, original director Scott Derrickson proclaimed that the movie would be the “first MCU horror movie.” Over time, even with an iconic genre director like Raimi on board, there has been a little bit of toning down when it comes to the frightening images seen in the movie.
Speaking recently toFandango, Raimi explained:
“I think what [Kevin] meant, from my point of view, is that this film has a flavor of horror to it. I think when the original director, Scott Derrickson, and Kevin promoted the coming of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, they said that it was going to be the first Marvel superhero film that had an element of horror to it. I hope I’m not misquoting them. But even after Scott left the picture due to creative differences, that was still the mandate – to make the first Marvel film that had an element of horror. So, I kept true to their original statements."
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While there are not going to be any scenes of gushing blood and gore, thetrailersforDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshave already revealed their fair share of horrors, from a decaying version of Steven Strange to a blood-soaked Wanda, as well as a host of monsters and creatures from dark dimensions. This is pretty much a standard level for a PG-13 movie now, where the context of the horror is seen as more critical than the flaking of skin and the slaughter of fantastic creatures.
Peter Jackson brought some pretty frightening creatures to life in hisLord of the Ringstrilogy, and the laterHarry Pottermovies took on a much darker tone that found the final movies in the series dealing with more intense scenes. More recently,Ghostbusters: Afterlifewas given a PG-13 rating for “supernatural action and some suggestive references,” but no one really noticed that J.K. Simmons Ivo Shandor was seen being literally torn in two by the returning Gozer. With this in mind,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis still likely to carry enough horror to cause kids some nightmares and will guarantee a thrilling ride for everyone else.
