The Avengers producers had to battle R rating over death scene

Superhero blockbuster The Avengers initially landed a restrictive R rating when director Joss Whedon first handed the film to movie bosses at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige tells Movies.com that the death of Clark Gregg’s character Agent Coulson in the film had to be re-edited to appease nervous censors, who feared Whedon had gone too far.
And to secure a family-friendly PG-13 rating, the director had to make a cut more than once.
Feige explains, “Whenever you impale somebody from their back and the blade comes out of their chest, there are issues.”