Similar to how Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins inspired a generation of gritty reboots and virtually reinvented the entire comic book genre in the process, it seems as though his arch-nemesis’ origin story could end up having the same kind of influence. Todd Phillips’ Joker has smashed countless box office records, and now the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history could turn out to be the catalyst for a huge influx in adult-orientated superhero flicks.

Much has been made of Joker’s success, with the most profitable entry in the entire comic book genre now set for a huge awards push, and the influence of Phillips’ psychological character study looks set to be felt for years to come. Joker’s billion-dollar haul, following so soon after blockbuster-sized hits like Logan and Deadpool, has made R-rated comic book projects more marketable than ever before.

The runaway success of the MCU has always lent weight to the theory that superhero movies are a predominantly family-friendly genre, but Joker looks set to change that notion. One character that fans would love to see get the R-rated treatment is Venom, especially given the lukewarm critical reception to the 2018 movie, and in a recent interview, franchise producer Matt Tolmach has admitted that Joker has made a more mature rating for Venom 2 a real possibility now.

“I mean, I think you always have to think about it, now that it works. Having said that, our movie worked really well. Our franchise exists as it is, and I don’t think anybody is looking to just say, ‘Hey, they did it!’. We have a place in the world. So it isn’t like suddenly everybody’s considering what to do with the rating.”

What do you think? Let us know and don’t forget to subscribe to The Nerds Take 2 YouTube channel!