Ok. But the level of gay in Captain America: The Winter Soldier continues to astound me.
Like, not only do Steve and Bucky have a phrase like a wedding vow that they say to each other, which gets introduced to the audience in the context of Bucky asking Steve to move in with him, and that later is so emotionally impactful that it breaks through 70 years of brain washing and Bucky remembers it before he remembers his own name. Not only does Steve apparently spend his free time hanging out in his own exhibit in the Smithsonian, staring longingly at old photos and videos of Bucky. Not only does the issue of Steve’s love life get repeatedly raised in the set up before Bucky comes back. Not only do Steve and Bucky’s interactions fit really neatly into a lot of epic romance tropes. Not only is Steve literally willing to die rather than hurt Bucky more than he’s already been hurt, even though as far as he knows Bucky has shown no signs of recognizing him.
But also on top of all that, there’s the whole “shared life experience” discussion (not “similar” - shared!!!) which could only refer to Bucky, which takes place shortly before the Winter Soldier’s true identity is revealed. I mean, it could hardly have been more obvious if they were like:
Steve: Believe it or not, it’s hard to find someone with shared life experience.
Natasha: Yeah. That makes sense. Where on earth are you going to find someone who lived through your childhood in Brooklyn and the war right along side you but who also understands what it’s like to get the serum and be frozen? I mean, I just have no idea who could possibly fit that description. Why don’t we ask that dude over there with the mask and the metal arm? Maybe he can help.
I would also like to submit that the song that plays literally seconds before Steve first encounters the Winter Soldier:
Kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once again It’s been a long, long time Haven’t felt like this, my dear Since I can’t remember when It’s been a long, long time You’ll never know how many dreams I’ve dreamed about you Or just how empty they all seemed without you So kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once again It’s been a long, long time
I mean, I’m sure the only reunion song they could pull from the 1940s has explicitly romantic text. It’s only the 40s, I’m sure no other material was written about people coming back after prolonged absence.
Also, Steve’s apartment is in the heart of Dupont Circle, DC’s traditional gayborhood. He’s surrounded by queer bars, bookstores, and sex shops. They could have chosen anywhere in DC, but they chose Dupont. It’s literally first on the list of the best DC neighborhoods for LGBT people:
Also the opening scene for Winter Soldier was at one point storyboarded to be Steve having a dream about Bucky during the war, so… yeah the song was definitely about Bucky and Steve.
I mean the First Avenger is literally Romeo and Juliet with a twist. Bucky sacrifices his life to save (Steve) the mission, Steve thinks Bucky is dead so he has no qualms killing himself. Little do they know they both end up alive and reuniting, ultimately altering each other’s path.
Bucky is broken out of his brainwashing by Steve and Steve goes against half his team to protect Bucky.
It’s just Romeo and Juliet backwards. They die in the beginning and fight their family for each other at the end.
Before Dupont Circle, (according to most comics) he lived in Brooklyn Heights which as you may guess is…
GAY.
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP
it’s a neighbourhood with multiple historical landmarks from queer culture only second to Greenwich Manhattan. If you read enough pre war stucky, you’ll notice St. George hotel cropping up as a cruising spot because it was. You’re telling me this guy only lives in the gayest part of the city perpetually flirting with a guy, gets called a fag in six different ways, makes wedding vows to another man mid combat and then…. marries a woman?
