In 2025, maybe it’s not surprising to hear that pop culture fans read queer subtext in a TV show or movie. But 10 years ago, it was audacious, particularly when that gayness was applied to one of the biggest (and straightest) franchises in the history of cinema: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While there are now many instances of shipping—the phenomenon where fans fantasize about platonic characters becoming romantic—within the MCU, during the franchise’s inception there was little to none. But, with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger back in 2011, a new fandom bloomed and quickly became one of the biggest and most passionate cases of queer shipping this century.
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