Actor Chris Pratt has made headlines for becoming the first MCU character to drop an F-bomb on screen, breaking the franchise's long-standing tradition of avoiding explicit language. The noteworthy occasion occurred in a newly released clip from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where Chris Pratt's character, Star-Lord, becomes visibly frustrated and exclaims:
"Open the f*cking door!"
This marks a significant departure from the MCU's usual approach to foul language, where near-misses and censored words have been used to keep the films family-friendly.
While other Marvel characters like Deadpool have frequently used explicit language in their movies, this marks the first time an F-bomb has been heard in an MCU film.
Chris Pratt drops MCU's first F-Bomb in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 clip
In a newly released clip from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chris Pratt's character, Peter Quill, utters the MCU's first official F-word, which is expected to be included in the film's final cut. The clip shows the Guardians of the Galaxy team struggling to get into a small car, with some members locked out, causing frustration and impatience to mount.
As Peter instructs Nebula on how to unlock the car door through the closed window, he utters the expletive in a moment of anger, which is bleeped out in the clip but still visibly uttered by Pratt.
While the MCU has often skirted around the use of expletives, it has been used in non-MCU films by director James Gunn, such as The Suicide Squad, where it adds an extra layer of humor.
Although other MCU films have had near-F-bombs, they have always been censored, cut off, or removed from the script entirely. Marvel Studios included an F-word in an early script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but that too was later removed.
Implications of the MCU's first F-word and its PG-13 rating
Despite its R-rated association, the F-word can be used in PG-13 movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. According to IMDb, the film's PG-13 rating is due to "intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements," with "strong language" being clear in this new footage.
The inclusion of the word by Chris Pratt in a new clip of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, despite its PG-13 rating, suggests that Marvel Studios is taking a new approach to language in their films.
While the franchise has previously censored F-bombs, this latest development opens the possibility for more explicit language in future MCU projects. With the arrival of Deadpool in the MCU soon with Deadpool 3, more F-bombs are expected, leaving the possibility open for more of them in future MCU projects.
Despite the taboo nature of the F-word, its inclusion in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not malicious. Fans of the franchise can anticipate what other surprises the MCU has in store for them in the future.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released on May 5, 2023.