you know why captain america 2 is so great?
it’s because they subvert almost every trope known to the media, especially in terms of romance and gender. steve’s cute neighbor who supposedly has a thing for muscular bodies and washing machines? think again
she’s not here to flirt, she’s here to fucking save the world.
was there a big kiss and a promise exchanged at the end of the film when all the dust settles and romance – if need be – is finally ready to occur? no. a date is vaguely suggested but immediately dismissed bc you know what is more important to the captain than kissing a pretty girl?
saving his fucking friend
and who has the captain’s back even though he has his own life to return to and his own pretty girl to woo? sam fucking wilson: best bro of all the bros
that is how fucking great captain america is
women are powerful and have identity beyond the “love interest”. they’re not standing idly by until the end of the movie, waiting to make love eyes at the male protagonist. they’re not being saved, they’re doing the saving. most of them aren’t even implied as romantic candidates, they’re too busy being kickass world saving agents.
men are shown to be emotionally attached to other men and friendship/loyalty/heroism takes precedence over romance, to the point where romance isn’t played into the writing at all. really impressive stuff, marvel. i approve.
Normally war movies that focus on male friendship either make women entirely irrelevant, or use women as ciphers to stand in for men’s emotional processes. That’s what makes TWS so extraordinary: Men do emotional labour, while the women get to be actual people.
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