Here's every censored or cut-off curse word in the Deadpool 3 is in the MCU, expect Tony's record to be blown out of the water.
Marvel's writers do skirt around the really bad words, however. The comics have been doing this for decades with grawlix in place of the actual swear words, and profanity in the MCU usually gets handled in a similarly creative fashion. With a PG-13 rating to uphold, most MCU movies deploy a** and d*mn pretty freely but keep b**ch and sh** somewhat more infrequent, while never dropping an f-bomb without cutting it off.
Nonetheless, nothing quite signals the seriousness of a situation quite like an emphatic curse word -- and what are Marvel movies if not a series of very serious situations? To maintain PG-13 ratings without detracting from the MCU's frequent life-or-death stakes, Marvel has had to creatively signal that swear words were being spoken without having them literally "spoken" -- or, at the least, heard by the audience. With that in mind, here's every time Marvel has dodged or cut off a curse word so far.
Bruce Banner Says "Oh Shi-" in The Incredible Hulk (2008)
At the tail end of Incredible Hulk may be over, as Banner has just undergone an experimental treatment to remove all the gamma cells from his bloodstream. As he leaps out of a helicopter, he closes his eyes and waits for the adrenaline rush to Hulk him out. However, nothing happens, and a panicked Banner only has time to half-exclaim, "Oh, shi-!" before he plummets out of the camera's eye- and ear-shot.
Peter Quill Says "What the F-" in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Before they officially become a team, the five in the Collector, Taneleer Tivan. Things go awry when the Collector's enslaved assistant, Carina, makes a grab for the stone and triggers an explosion that takes down the whole building. Quill and Gamora take cover behind a table. As they emerge to take in the aftermath, a shocked Quill begins to say, "What the f-!" before a bursting lightbulb in the background cuts him off.
Groot Doesn't Say "Frickin''' in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
I am Groot." When Yondu asks Rocket to translate, a tearful Rocket says, "He says, 'Welcome to the frickin' Guardians of the Galaxy. Only he didn't use "frickin'."" This is an especially creative censor since it comes suggestively translated from one of the other characters within the film.
Aunt May Says "What the Fu-" in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Peter Parker can't catch a break in Spider-Man suit on, and the camera slowly pans up to take in how cool it looks. Unfortunately for Peter, his Aunt May is standing in the doorway, and as he takes his mask off revealing that it's him, she says, "What the fu-!" before the credits cut her off.
Hope Pym Says "Oh Shi-" in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Master thief Scott Lang and his superhero partner Hope Pym return in Quantum Realm. After their shrunken lab is stolen by the film's antagonist, Ghost, Scott and Hope sneak into her place to steal it back. Ghost appears to be asleep when they enter, reclining in her stabilization chamber. After warning Scott that they need to move quickly, Hope then turns to see Ghost's chamber suddenly empty. Realizing that they're about to be attacked, Hope utters a brief "Oh shi-!" before she is cut off by Ghost punching her from behind.
Rocket Raccoon Says "Up My—" and Nick Fury Says "Motherf-" in Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
During Avengers: Infinity War, Thor confides in Rocket about losing his family, his homeworld, his eye, and his hammer. Taking pity on the God of Thunder, Rocket offers Thor a bionic eye he stole off a guy in Contraxia. Thor thanks him and inserts the eye right away, but Rocket responds by saying, "Oof, I would've washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my—." An alert noise from the ship's control distracts him before he can finish the thought.
In Avengers: Infinity War's shocking ending, Thanos succeeds in collecting all six Infinity Stones and completing The Snap to erase half the life in the universe. In the film's final moments, many Avengers and Guardians disintegrate into dust. The post-credits scene shows Nick Fury and Agent Maria Hill catching up on events halfway across the world, and the people around them begin dusting as well. Hill vanishes, and Fury hurries back to their car to retrieve his Captain Marvel communicator. Just as he manages to push the button, Fury notices his hand starting to disappear, and he laments, "Motherf-," in signature Samuel L. Jackson fashion.
A Student Says "Sh*t Is Crazy," and Peter Parker Says "What the Fu-" in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
The first five minutes of Avengers: Endgame, student news anchor Betty Brant sighs and begins to say, "This year has been nothing short of-," before she's interrupted by her co-anchor Jason's addition of "sh*t is crazy." He's bleeped out because it's a school program, and Betty makes sure to correct him as well.
While it turns out that Aunt May knowing his secret identity isn't the end of the world for Peter, things do get a lot messier in this sequel. After defeating Mysterio, a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee who wreaks havoc while posing as a superhero, Peter returns to New York City triumphantly. However, in a mid-credits scene where he and MJ go for a web-slinging jaunt, Peter is shocked to see a video billboard from The Daily Bugle broadcasting a fake story that puts all the blame on him instead of Mysterio. If that wasn't bad enough, J. Jonah Jameson then announces that Spider-Man's secret identity is Peter Parker, with a school photo to boot. In an homage to the first film's ending, Spidey groans, "What the fu-," as the credits start back up.
Jennifer Walters Says "Captain America Fu-" In She-Hulk Episode 1
Most recently, it was actually a Marvel TV show on Disney+ that almost dropped an f-bomb, which was understandably censored given the streaming service's family-friendly orientation. Throughout Captain America dying without ever having had sex, Bruce blurts out that Steve did actually lose his virginity on his U.S.O. tour in 1943. Vindicated, Jennifer immediately drops the drunk act and exclaims, "Yes, I knew it! Captain America fu-" before being cut off by the credits.
It's unlikely that the mainstream MCU will stop censoring f-bombs and other curse words any time soon since it still aims to be a largely PG-13 canon. At the same time, as Marvel's number and range of productions continue to expand, there's more room for R-rated material that wouldn't have to cut off swear words, such as any forthcoming MCU Deadpool movies. But as fun as adult content is, it's also satisfying to see all the creative ways Marvel censors swear words in its more family-oriented content, as this often creates even more humor than allowing the f-bombs to be said out loud.
