Matt Reeves' The Batman has been officially rated PG-13, and some fans aren't happy.
"Batman deserves an R rating!" said one Twitter user, while another suggested that "no one wants a Batman who isn't in all his glory: dark, gritty, mature, serious."
Others have pointed to Warner Bros. studios' evident desire to open up The Batman screenings to as many gamblers as possible, including children: "Whack but predictable," wrote one user.
But fans of The Caped Crusader need not fear. Robert Pattinson's take on the iconic character certainly won't be hampered by a PG-13 rating, for a number of reasons.
First, a PG-13 rating (assigned by the US ratings board, the MPAA) still allows "strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, foul language, and suggestive material" in a movie.
So Batman is likely to retain the gritty tone set by his trailers thus far. It won't be gory - you'd need a higher age rating for that - but Pattinson's ground-and-ground Batman fighting style seems poised to ensure Reeves' vision of Gotham lives up to his reputation as the darker. date.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, The Batman is the eighth consecutive standalone Batman film to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States. Yes indeed. This means that Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, and Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises had the same certificate.
Remember the scary face of the Scarecrow, the Joker's hostage plots, Harvey Dent's bullet-riddled face, and Bane's very public execution of a nuclear physicist? All PG-13.
A history of violence
Director Matt Reeves is known for pushing the limits of the PG-13 rating to the absolute limit.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes, as well as the invasion thriller Cloverfield, are often extremely dark in tone, each with scenes that aren't exactly kid-friendly.
So those worried that The Batman will be a sanitized, emotionless adventure through the underbelly of Gotham have nothing to worry about. In 2022, a PG-13 rating is less synonymous with ball pit entertainment than an opportunity for Reeves and company. to share his take on the Batman legend with the widest possible audience.
Rest assured, Robert Pattinson's The Dark Knight will get his hands dirty when the film hits theaters on March 4; there simply will be no blood to clean up.