Captain America: Civil War is undoubtedly one of the films of the summer.
It’s an amazing superhero blockbuster and probably the best Marvel film around. What made the film so special (apart from Spider-Man and Black Panther, obviously) was how in among all the CGI and explosions there was a very human centre in the story, about the lengths Captain America would go to protect his friend Bucky.
At its core, Captain America: Civil War is a story of love, protection and family that we can learn a lot from. Which is possibly why superhero fans are asking Marvel Studios to make Captain America and Bucky more than friends.
Marvel Studios via GIPHY
Social media hashtag #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend has been trending for several days recently as Captain America fans campaign for the hero to be matched up with his best friend Bucky.
In a world of aliens, gods and superheroes, Steve having a boyfriend is the one that's unrealistic. Ok. #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend
— pinned tweet (@kirinsjindosh) May 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/Hamlet_Machine/status/735110583880712192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/LiamKelsall/status/735103126852804608
Both in the comics and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America’s relationship with Bucky has been one of the most compelling features of the Captain America stories, especially since Bucky’s return from the dead in the original Winter Soldier arc in 2005.
While they’ve never been portrayed as anything but best friends and allies, there is a deep fraternal love between the pair, with Bucky eventually going on to take the mantle of Captain America when Steve Rogers was [REDACTED, GO READ THE CIVIL WAR COMIC AND ITS AFTERMATH].
Throughout his cinematic adventures, Captain America’s Steve Rodgers has had only two female partners: Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in The First Avenger, and Peggy’s niece Sharon (Emily VanCamp) in Civil War. Much like in the comics, there’s a bit of a romantic flame between Sharon and Steve, so it may be a while before Steve and Bucky take their relationship to the next step.
Make what you will of the #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend campaign, what is known for sure is cinema fans wanting to improve Marvel and Disney movies LGBT representation.
One GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) report found that Disney failed to include a single LGBT character in its major 2015 movies, including those from its Lucasfilm and Marvel branches.
LucasArts via GIPHY
There has already been a campaign to encourage Disney to make Elsa from Frozen the first LGBTQ princess, and a number of Star Wars fans have asked for Poe Dameron and Finn to become an item in the new trilogy.
At the very core is just cinema fans wanting stories that include people who look and act a bit more like them at home, which is something we can all relate to. Maybe it’s time to bring characters like Northstar, Hulking, Wiccan and Moondragon to the big screen.
