Venom: Let There Be Carnage Almost Went for R-Rating

Before it was announced that Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be rated PG-13, fans have been speculating if the sequel will go for R-rated this time since the story has the potential to be more violent than the first film given the inclusion of serial killer and ruthless symbiote Cletus Kasady/Carnage.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, star Tom Hardy and director Andy Serkis were asked if they actually considered the film to be R-rated when they were making it early on.

Hardy answered, "100% we considered it. With all of these symbiotes, you know, you consider it. You read the comic books and it is extreme, but that's not what we're here to do. We came here to make a movie which, and correct me if I'm wrong, I mean, there's a law and a rule into creating a movie that's accessible to a lot of people, as well as that caters for everybody, including the hardcore fans. So I hope the hardcore fans at least take home that they look at Carnage and go, 'Yeah, I recognize Carnage from the comic books. I'm happy with that.' And yeah, no, we didn't bite everybody's head off, but we did stick a tongue down someone's throat pretty... and managed to come in at a level of rating which is reputable so that grandma can come but also I'll come watch it too."

Serkis also shared how they went with the portrayal of Carnage in the film. "Sometimes leaving things to the imagination is as powerful too," he said. "We pushed it as far as we could possibly go, but with some room to go in people's heads. That character is pretty scary and the kind of the truth of where that character emanates from and Cletus Kasady is a character that is amplified through Carnage, does a lot of the work. So I think we certainly fulfill a lot of the essence of Carnage."

They eventually decided to go for PG-13 since it will make the film more accessible to the general audience. The decision makes sense since they can maximize their box office potential and it would be in line as well with the first film which also has a PG-13 rating. Several comic book films in the past have proven that there are still creative ways that you can do through the constrain of the PG-13 rating and it's not a limitation on the story that you can tell, even if it deals with a subject matter involving violence.

Also Read:Tom Hardy Says Venom 2 is a Love Story

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the rating of the film is. What's important is they were able to tell a great story, a satisfying face-off between the two symbiote characters, and honor the source material.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is set to be shown in cinemas on October 1.