Ryan Reynolds wants R-rated Star Wars to unlock emotional storytelling

Reynolds Pitches R-rated Star Wars

Ryan Reynolds recently approached Disney with a bold idea – an R-rated Star Wars project.

Deadpool star believes this edgier take could breathe new life into the franchise, though he’s quick to clarify he’d prefer working behind the scenes rather than starring in it.

Emotion Over Vulgarity

“R-rated is a Trojan horse for emotion,” Reynolds explained on The Box Office Podcast.

He doesn’t want gratuitous content but believes an adult rating allows for deeper emotional storytelling.

This approach has worked wonders for him as producer and star of the wildly successful Deadpool films.

Streaming vs. Theater Experience

Reynolds feels strongly about the different viewing experiences. “You’re never gonna get the same emotional investment from a streamer,” he argues.

The actor believes streaming platforms need even stronger hooks to grab distracted viewers, calling our modern attention spans “distracto-fat things clogging our arteries of attention.”

Not The First Attempt

This isn’t the first pitch for a mature Star Wars. Director James Mangold once envisioned a “borderline rated-R, single-planet, spaghetti Western” Boba Fett film that eventually morphed into a Disney+ series.

The franchise has stuck firmly to PG-13 ratings since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.