Why Wonder Woman Will Be Rated PG-13

Gal Gadot Wonder Woman

This summer is going to be a big moment for the silver screen DC universe. Patty Jenkins will give Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) her first major solo movie when Wonder Woman debuts, and all eyes are on that film to do some pretty major things for female-fronted superhero adventures. The whole thing already looks like a fantastic story -- complete with romance, humor, and a healthy dose of adventure -- and the MPAA has officially labeled the Amazonian warrior's first solo outing with a PG-13 rating. The rating is pretty much what we guessed this movie would earn, but we can now confirm that Wonder Woman earned it for its overall level of violence and suggestive material.

The Motion Picture Association of America has officially screened Wonder Woman and the latest DCEU film has received a PG-13 rating "for sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive content." This isn't terribly surprising, as it lines up with every theatrically released DCEU film to date, and falls in line with what we would expect from a Wonder Woman movie. She's one of the (if not THE) best fighters in the DC universe, so obviously the action will be front and center. As for the prospect of "some suggestive content," that seems like a reliable indication that Wonder Woman will lean into the love story between Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and Diana Prince. After all, that is one of the most endlessly iconic romances in all of pop culture; it wouldn't make sense for the film not to allow things to get a little hot and heavy between them at some point.

On a more cynical note, it's difficult to imagine a situation in which Wonder Woman would receive a rating other than PG-13. That rating has become the bread and butter of the blockbuster world because it casts the widest possible net for audiences. DC needs an unequivocal hit in the wake of Suicide Squad, so limiting the potential audience for Wonder Woman likely never even occurred to the comic book giant.

Of course, we also wouldn't be surprised if DC and Warner Bros. eventually decide to release an R-rated or unrated director's cut of Wonder Woman at some point in the near future. A similar tactic was used on the Ultimate Edition of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and that cut of the film is considered the superior version. Given the fact that Wonder Woman appears to be a legitimate war movie that embraces the iconic grittiness of World War I, an unrated version with a bit more blood and carnage doesn't seem outside of the realm of possibility.

Check out a trailer for Wonder Woman below to get a better look at some of the PG-13 greatness in action:

Wonder Woman will debut in theaters on June 2, 2017. Check out our movie premiere guide for more details regarding the rest of 2017's theatrical debuts!

Conner Schwerdtfeger

Originally from Connecticut, Conner grew up in San Diego and graduated from Chapman University in 2014. He now lives in Los Angeles working in and around the entertainment industry and can mostly be found binging horror movies and chugging coffee.