Deadpool officially rated R and for all the right reasons

For us Brits, that's pretty much a 15

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (Fox)

Anybody who has seen the Deadpool trailers will not be surprised it has been officially rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America.

For us Brits who don’t know what that means, an R rating requires everyone under the age of 17 to be accompanied by an adult, usually translated in the UK to a 15.

The reasoning: “strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity.” Unlike most comic-book films, 20th Century Fox are attempting to be a little different with their ‘new’ hero, being overtly explicit in comparison to the subdued action of X-Men and Avengers.

Previously, make-up designer Bill Corso has said: "Ironically there's not as much gore as there could be, it's all portrayed pretty realistically. Deadpool does some really graphic stuff to people, but it's all quick and doesn't linger on it.”

In the lead-up to the film’s release, a number of misleading posters have hit the internet, all pointing towards Deadpool being a rom-com rather than an action flick.

The Marvel comics on which the film is based portray the Merc with a mouth as a wise-cracking, fourth-wall breaking anti-hero - not so much the romantic type.

It has previously been confirmed that Stan Lee will cameo in the film “in a way you’ve never seen before”, the comic book writer having cameoed in almost every recent Marvel film to date, minus Fantastic Four.

Deadpool hits UK theatres 10 February.