Fan-Recommended Superhero and Comic Book Movies Rated "R"

R-rated comic book movies have quickly become a typical part of action movie rollouts every year, so much so that trailers for 2022's The Batman and Morbius were speculated to receive the 'adults only' rating (but they ended up at PG-13). Thanks to DC's recent slate of R-rated films, a lot of these movies are readily available on popular streaming services. Here are some of the top of this genre, according to fan ratings from Letterboxd and IMDb.

Letterboxd: 3.8/5, IMDb: 8.2/10

Alan Moore’s renowned limited comic series about a fascist regime in a dystopian future was adapted for the screen by The Wachowskis with Hugo Weaving in the leading role as the masked anarchist V.

Watch on: Netflix / HBO Max

Letterboxd: 3.6/5, IMDb: 7.6/10

Another Alan Moore graphic novel, Watchmen is another dystopian world (this time its the 1980s) where masked vigilantes and superheroes changed the course of world history, now in a darker timeline on the brink of World War III while the costumed heroes are outlawed or employed by the government.

Watch on: Hulu

Letterboxd: 3.7/5, IMDb: 7.7/10

From the 2012 comic book series, Kingsman: The Secret Service begins a new franchise based on a spy collective that secretly deals with global terrorism in a classy manner.

Letterboxd: 3.7/5, IMDb: 8.0/10

The first R-rated superhero film to be loosely connected to a larger franchise (the otherwise PG-13 X-men universe), Deadpool received heaps of acclaim for its humorously over-the-top gory action violence and an irreverent performance from leading man Ryan Reynolds.

Watch on: Hulu

Letterboxd: 4.1/5, IMDb: 8.1/10

The X-Men universe expanded in an official capacity with Logan, the final film appearance of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Though his previous displays of action violence were certainly dark, Logan is adult drama and gore through and through.

Letterboxd: 3.9/5, IMDb: 8.4/10

Another character never-before-seen in an R-rated setting, Joker took a disconnected route from the character’s other depictions through a bleak setting and killer performance from Joaquin Phoenix.

Watch on: HBO Max

Letterboxd: 3.7/5, IMDb: 7.2/10

The Suicide Squad rights the wrongs of its predecessor of a similar name with a better plot, more fun, and irreverent humor from new creator James Gunn.

Watch on: HBO Max

Be on the lookout for more potential adult-oriented films from DC and other studios!