Why Ryan Reynolds Won’t Star In the R-Rated Star Wars Project He Pitched to Disney

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Ryan Reynolds expresses optimism about a potential project. The star of Deadpool discloses he proposed an R-rated Star Wars film to Disney, which released last year’s Deadpool and Wolverine – not only the first Marvel Studios movie with an R rating, but the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, earning $1.33 billion at the global box office. As Marvel ventures into the adult-oriented genre previously dominated by Disney and 20th Century Studios’ R-rated sci-fi franchises like Alien and Predator, Reynolds suggests that the Star Wars universe could push beyond a PG or PG-13 rating.

Ryan Reynolds proposed an idea during a discussion with Disney: “Let’s create an R-rated version of Star Wars!” This was discussed in the latest episode of The Box Office Podcast. He didn’t suggest making it crass or vulgar; instead, he argued that an R-rating could serve as a vehicle for deeper emotions. Reynolds often wonders why studios are hesitant to take a chance on something like this.

In simpler terms, Reynolds, who was a co-writer for Deadpool 2 (alongside Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick) and has also worked on Deadpool & Wolverine with them, Zeb Wells, and director Shawn Levy, made it clear that he’s not interested in acting in the film. Instead, he expressed a desire to produce, write, or participate behind the scenes.

The series titled Andor, a prequel to the film Rogue One set within the growing rebellion against the Galactic Empire, has pushed the limits of the Star Wars franchise with its complex storytelling. In the second season, it even ventured into uncharted territory by introducing a potentially disturbing scene that hints at an attempted rape. This is a significant departure for a franchise that has never exceeded a PG-13 rating since 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and on streaming platforms such as Disney+, where series like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and now Andor are rated TV-14.

In simpler terms, Reynolds pointed out that the emotional impact of a theatrical movie is different from a streamer because there’s more effort involved – like driving to the theater, paying for parking, hiring babysitters, etc. This added effort creates an emotional investment. When it comes to streaming content, his advice is always to make a strong first impression, capturing the viewer’s attention immediately, similar to how a movie grabs you with its opening scene.

Speaking of streamers, it’s crucial to emphasize that this model is particularly significant due to the numerous distractions that fill our focus-channels, making it challenging to stay engaged without placing the important items front and center.

Reynolds played a key role in shifting the Fox X-Men film series towards adult-oriented content, beginning with the R-rated Deadpool in 2016 and followed by the R-rated Logan, directed by Mangold, in 2017. Later, Mangold shared that his concept for the Boba Fett: A Star Wars Story movie he was developing was an R-rated spaghetti Western on the borderline of being rated R. However, plans for a Boba Fett spinoff film were ultimately changed and transformed into a TV-14 series on Disney+ instead.

In 2023, Mangold admitted that at the time he was working on it, his actions might have made everyone extremely anxious, as he put it. He further explained that due to some corporate changes following the Han Solo film incident, they abruptly decided to stop producing movies like that. However, with the rise of streaming platforms, he believes new opportunities emerged.

Indeed, the upcoming movie titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu” – an extension of the TV series “The Mandalorian” – marks the first new Star Wars film since 2019’s release of “The Rise of Skywalker“. This exciting production is set to premiere in cinemas in May 2026 and is expected to carry a PG-13 rating.

Prior to George Lucas parting ways with Star Wars and selling it to Disney, he was in the process of creating a live-action series titled Star Wars: Underworld. According to producer Rick McCallum, this series would be significantly darker and more mature than the films, comparable to The Empire Strikes Back on steroids.

McCallum described these unfilmed scripts as ‘dark’, ‘sexy’, and ‘violent’. He found them incredibly complex, intriguing, and groundbreaking. If produced, they would have significantly transformed the Star Wars universe, a change that Disney likely wouldn’t have allowed by not offering George Lucas to sell his company.

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2025-05-26 23:40