The Deadpool 3 Trailer Had To Change One Explicit Word For International Audiences

Fans of Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) know that the character is notorious for nudging the envelope as hard and far as possible. But sometimes, that boundary-pushing isn't palatable to everyone — especially advertising executives trying to buy television time. Thus, one rather ribald line from the "Deadpool and Wolverine" trailer, which debuted during the 2024 Superbowl, has been excised for airing in foreign markets.

According to a clip posted by ScreenTime X, formerly known as Twitter, the movie's international trailer slightly alters Wade Wilson's initial dialogue with a group of TVA agents, completely taking out a sexually explicit term. In this revised version, Wade says, "Is that supposed to be scary? The R-rating isn't new for me, friend-o, but it is for Disney." Both versions make accurate points, but one is definitely more palatable to the sensitive ears of a marketing executive — and any concerned parents listening in.

Disney and Marvel Studios are just one film-producing arm dealing with differing cultural standards internationally. Censorship issues are just one of the hurdles that come with advertising and releasing movies abroad.

American films will often have to pivot when it comes to international marketing. The standardized ratings of the Motion Picture Association, after all, only apply to American audiences. Some countries apply edits via government-run censorship boards; others have specific organizations created to rate motion pictures just like the MPA. This variance in social norms has resulted in many different kinds of censorship. In some cases, films have been marketed in a different way to international audiences compared to American ones. For instance, the international trailer for "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is shorter by than its American cousin, and concentrates harder on how Peter Parker (Tom Holland) fits into the MCU as a whole. 

As a result of sometimes shifting commercial and political sands, a number of countries have had varying relationships with big studios — even with Marvel itself. For example, in China, a long-term ban on importing MCU films into the country was preceded by the country-specific censorship of "Iron Man 2," where the words "Russian" or "Russia" were not translated for subtitles, and the English snippets of matching dialogue were muted. Marvel made a return to China in 2023, with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" being the first to release in the country since 2019. 

It'll be interesting to see if "Deadpool and Wolverine" can follow suit. The movie will be the only MCU flick to release in 2024 and it will be downright hilarious to see what kind of potential hurdles Marvel execs have to jump through to make sure the Merc with the Mouth passes certain censorship checks abroad. "Deadpool and Wolverine" opens worldwide on July 26.