“Deadpool” is being banned in China, and here’s why

We’ve been pretty pumped for Deadpool, upcoming super anti-hero Marvel movie that’s sure to be filled with hilarity, wit, and sarcasm a la Ryan Reynolds. However, fans in China are majorly disappointed right now, because the film has been officially banned. Why? Basically because of all the reasons we want to see it.

While the United States has a movie rating system — G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 — to determine the appropriateness and content of a film, China doesn’t, so if it’s not deemed appropriate for all audiences by the country’s media regulator — the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SAPPRFT) — it’s out of the question for China.

However, from the very beginning, Deadpool has been dedicated to staying true to the comic book character in all his inappropriate glory. . . meaning that from the very beginning, the movie was inevitably going to have plenty of nudity, violence, and cursing. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, China often works with Hollywood studios to edit R-rated films to be “cleaner,” but sources say that in Deadpool‘s case, it would be impossible to do so without majorly affecting the plot.

China is the second-largest movie market in the world; Avengers: Age of Ultron grossed $240 million, while Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man respectively grossed $96.4 million and $105.4 million, according to the THR. So how will Deadpool fare if all of those potential profits are off-limits? The super (anti-) hero does have a strong fan-base, so perhaps it will fare just fine — in fact, perhaps the commitment to keeping true to the character in the face of adversity will only make it perform better. Only time will tell.

(Image via Marvel.)

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