4. Wolverine Has Been Rated R Before, And It Worked
The theatrical cut of The Wolverine was a huge success, garnering a lot of respect from both critics and fans. This respect was increased no-end for the home video release, with Fox including an R rated cut of the film - dubbed 'The Unleashed Extended Edition' - on both the Blu-Ray and DVD sets. This extended cut featured all the usual suspects, from F-bombs and gory wounds to a ton of blood splatter, and even better, it all worked. It showed that the character could comfortably break the template that has plagued him since X-Men launched in 2000, releasing the parent-locked handcuffs and unleashing all of Wolverine's R rated glory. That being said, The Wolverine wasn't built from the ground up for that adult rating, and the tweaks for the Blu-Ray, if nothing else, left fans wanting more. The extended edition was a fine testing ground for something bigger, and that something should be Wolverine 3. It's not like Fox will be taking a huge creative gamble here, they've already tried it out - albeit on a smaller scale. You can't run before you can walk, and since Fox have been on their feet as of the extended edition, it's time to strap on those sprinting shoes!