Thread by @CharCubed

Welcome to the #Stevebucky / #Stucky meta thread 👀

TFA, TWS, CW, & IW were all written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Anthony & Joe Russo directed all except TFA (Joe Johnston).

I’m here to show how the work of the SAME TEAM is very subtext-heavy. Because I want to.

DISCLAIMER: This is not an "it's gonna be canon!" thread. No part of me ever expects that to happen. You shouldn't either.

Consider this a collection of evidence that interpreting them romantically is no stretch, for the next time someone says "they're BROTHERS it isn't GAY."

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: This is not a “stevebucky is the only valid ship” thread. Ship what you want! Stevetony, samsteve, stevepeggy, sambucky, whatever floats your goats: valid. If anyone uses this thread against other shippers I WILL physically fight them with my tiny fists.

Lastly, ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS & BLATANT THINGS INHERENT IN THE PLOTS… these are things that can be subtextually intended to be read through a romantic lens, or push the boundaries of believable platonic explanation.

This is analysis, not me waxing poetic.

Here we go!

✨ TFA: Let’s start off by mentioning this, shall we?
Bucky calls Steve “punk,” which was the 40s equivalent of “twink.”
Please see a source below. It’s on Google books if you want to validate it.

✨ Historically queer Steve Rogers is one of my favorite things.
Here’s a very cool post: brilliant meta about how, according to ancillary MCU info, Steve (& Bucky?) lived in the middle of a gay neighborhood in the 30s/40s.
thingswithwings.dreamwidth.org/213805.html

✨ The main Stevebucky thing to write meta about in TFA is, of course, the bar scene. There is the line of "But you're keeping the outfit, right?" which everyone points out is fairly flirtatious. But have you ever paid attention to the song playing in the bar?

The song is "There Is A Tavern In The Town."

"There is a tavern in the town, in the town
& there my true love sits him down, sits him down,
& drinks his wine as merry as can be,
& never, never thinks of me..."

Watch the scene & where the lyrics are placed, as Peggy comes up.

(Source: )

Not only does this song work as foreshadowing for Bucky's upcoming fall, but it also implies Bucky's in love with Steve & jealous of Peggy.

The stanza "He left me for a damsel dark, damsel dark" is sung (by MEN) as she's there. No accident.

If you want more about the bar scene, I point you to this excellent analysis of lighting & framing. It talks about & shows how this scene is entirely centrally about Bucky, in many ways.

“Homoerotic Subtext from the Bar Scene in CATFA” archiveofourown.org/works/2631527

✨ TWS: When Fury is in Steve's apartment, "It's Been A Long, Long Time” is playing. Released in 1945, it's from the perspective of someone welcoming their lover home from war.
The song is cut off by Bucky's entrance into the film / return to Steve's life (since falling in 1945).

✨ Steve & Natasha, in the truck.

Nat: "Nobody special then?"
Steve: "Believe it or not, it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience."

Does it need to be said?

Is this not foreshadowing? What else could it be? Can the writers please answer my calls?

✨ The flashback scene before Steve goes to fight Bucky is incredibly significant, not only because of the line “I’m with you to the end of the line” but because it establishes Bucky as being Steve’s DEFINITION of home, with the focus on Bucky holding the key to the apartment.

They could’ve put that line in any context, but THIS is specifically what Steve had in mind before trying to bring Bucky back.

Steve then wears the old (vulnerable) uniform–not as armor but to try to jog Bucky's memory–yet what finally works is the promise they made before war.

This is something that’s been discussed / known for years, & then a couple months ago Chris Evans just went ahead & confirmed (fairly unprompted) that Bucky is Steve’s home, so... that’s nice. I'm calm.

Article: comicbook.com/marvel/2018/10…
Full GIF set: alwaysanoriginal.tumblr.com/post/180801312…

✨ I’m pretty sure I don’t even have to say this, but do you know what this line sounds exactly like?
“Till death do us part.”
Except, of course, for them it becomes applicable even beyond “death.”

✨ The closing shot of TWS is Steve looking at a picture in a folder of Bucky from before the horrors of war & his transformation. This mirrors the closing shot of TFA, where Peggy looks at a picture of Steve in a folder from before the serum & his transformation.

✨ CW: Rumlow’s taunting of Steve was designed to bring attention to how Bucky is the #1 thing in Steve’s life & mind, even to his distraction; were it not for this, any antagonist could’ve been used as a conflict / Accords catalyst, but it SPECIFICALLY had to be Rumlow.

This is so he could bring focus to this & set the emotional stage on Steve’s end for the film.

The phrasing of “your Bucky” is also very intentionally specific, & not typically the kind of phrasing used when discussing a platonic relationship. There's a possessiveness there.

It stands in contrast to “your pal, your buddy,” & it’s possible those were included to cushion the romanticism inherent in “your Bucky” by itself… because imagine what “your Bucky” would sound like without the first 2 adding the plausible deniability of a platonic skew?

✨ Stevesharon in the MCU is underdeveloped & borderline a disservice to all characters involved. That’s true WHETHER OR NOT you ship Stevebucky, & something even mainstream media has covered extensively.

Sources for above:
• vox.com/2016/5/10/1164…
• gq.com/story/captain-…
• denofgeek.com/us/movies/marv…
• ign.com/articles/2016/…

Some other pieces I like:
• comicsalliance.com/super-stucky-s…
• themarysue.com/worst-marvel-m…

Why do I mention this? To point this out:
The weird non-passionate tension of Steve & Sharon is particularly seen when they're in front of an elevator. This directly contrasts with Steve & Bucky IN an elevator, wordlessly–& very much passionately–facing each other uninterrupted.

I consider it also worth noting that she could've asked Steve to go up with her in the elevator, but doesn't... and he doesn't offer, as they're both hesitant... Then, significantly, they get interrupted by–you guessed it–Bucky’s narrative entrance into the film.

Lastly (& I know THIS is subjective), every time I watch this, I’m struck by how it feels like an end, not a beginning. The kiss seems like something Steve felt he owed her, as thank you & closing of that chapter.
"That was..."
"Late."
Of all the words...

✨ The mantle of Captain America exists because of Bucky Barnes, & for Steve it also comes second to Bucky every time with no hesitation.

In TFA, it is the capture of the 107th & Bucky in particular that spurs Steve to action to fully BECOME Captain America.

Steve picked up the shield & the identity to save Bucky, & he later drops it for Bucky as well–literally in TWS, & both literally & metaphorically in CW. The latter is a bit more complicated than that, of course, but Bucky is narratively a tipping point–as is often the case.

My excellent friend @mblursen takes this point a step further, too. She explains how Captain America, SHIELD, & the Avengers all only come to exist because–no matter if you read it platonically or romantically–Steve Rogers loves Bucky Barnes.

brunettereader.tumblr.com/post/182021346…

✨ Steve repeatedly says "He's my friend" in reference to Bucky. The repetition gives it weight. Tony's response is "So was I," yet the story shows the comparison is unequal. This further implies "friend," for Steve & Bucky, is an insufficient term.

In the final movie version, an injured Bucky is in the background, as Steve stands in front of him protectively.

But, interestingly, the trailer take is different (understandably for spoiler reasons) & LONGER: “You know I wouldn’t do this if I had any other choice, but he’s my friend.” It further hammers home the significance.
(Here’s how the camera angles are spliced, for reference)

✨ Bucky’s nickname from Steve is intrinsically tied to him; he relearns himself through his connection to Steve, beginning from the moment he saw him on the bridge.
Once he is consciously no longer the Winter Soldier, he corrects everyone. We see it 1st with Zemo-in-disguise...

...and later, when he has the opportunity to go by a different name in Wakanda, he still elects to keep the name “Bucky” as his primary identity–even correcting Shuri. He keeps the name Steve is most familiar with, and that he’s decided to align himself with anew.

✨ It’s confirmed Steve visited Bucky in Wakanda multiple times–which is shown in IW, with him knowing exact coordinates with familiarity–& that they also stayed in touch when Steve was elsewhere.

Russos: alwaysanoriginal.tumblr.com/post/173567105…
Markus & McFeely: dailydot.com/parsec/avenger…

✨ I hypothesize subtle parallels between Steve/Bucky & Wanda/Vision.

The theme of time is used for Wanda & Vision throughout IW. I see Steve strongly thinking "relatable" here when Wanda says "I’m sorry. We just wanted time.” That’s Steve’s life–& Bucky’s, really.

This is what really gets me, though: during the talk at Avengers HQ, the camera cuts to Steve about 3 times. While Wanda & Vision are speaking, we get deliberate focus on Steve’s (depressed, somewhat pained) deep-in-thought face. It's as if he of all people empathizes.

What does the dialogue make me–& maybe Steve–think of?
As Wanda is the only one with the ability to destroy Vision, Steve & Bucky are the only ones equal to each other. Steve was the only one able to confront Bucky to break him out of brainwashing, neutralize him, or die trying.

& what does talk of ~removing the bad parts of a mind & leaving the good parts~ make one think of?
Bucky's mind, too.

Why would they show only Steve’s reactions? His, of all of them?
Parallels. I do think Wanda & Vision's situation reminded Steve of him & Bucky.

Back up a bit.
In light of what comes later, this conversation too is very reminiscent of Steve & Bucky’s prevalent themes for me.

Missing trains?
Stolen moments? 2 years? Stark?
It works, whether in the context of the 40s or in present day.

As Captain America, Steve made promises to Starks twice–Howard & Tony.
Steve saved Bucky in 1943; the Commandos were formed; Bucky fell in 1945.
In present day, Bucky’s been recovering in Wakanda for 2 years while Steve’s visited for "stolen moments" sporadically.

I’m not saying this scene specifically was intentional! They weren't like, “This Wanda/Vision scene sounds like Steve/Bucky.”

I just think it reads like a theoretical, applicable conversation for them, & further underlines the parallels in camera angles I see later on.

✨ I leave you with this: the writers & directors call Steve & Bucky's relationship "a love story" & "soulmate[s]."

It is, of course, paired with "platonic" & "brotherly" (as oxymoronic as that sounds) but I DEEPLY love them for always supporting fans' interpretations.

Sources for the above:
• Markus & McFeely did not write that comic, & in it Bucky is young & not the Bucky of the MCU; however, those words very much show these MCU writers' POV on THEIR work.

• mtv.com/news/2718101/c…

• empireonline.com/people/scarlet…

• buzzfeed.com/adambvary/your…

Lest you say "queerbaiting," the writers are clear about avoiding that.
bustle.com/articles/15937…

I also love this shield the Russos signed–& stories about their talks with fans. I'd LOVE to meet them. In all seriousness, their work is brilliant.
unrequitedstar.tumblr.com/tagged/wizard-…

In conclusion, the next time someone tries to imply you’re wild for shipping Stevebucky, you now have a collection of evidence that A) there’s more than enough subtext to be getting on with, B) even media discusses it, & C) the creators themselves support ~all interpretations.~

& for those who are against #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend as a concept on principle… I give you this article, which is great in full.
reelrundown.com/film-industry/…
Here are a couple screenshots of key pieces from it against people’s main “arguments.”

If you want to lose hours of your life to devouring more MCU-related meta, some unsung hero has a collection (through 2016) on this tumblr here:
…asenotinfrontoftheklingons.tumblr.com/tagged/marvel+…

& if I’ve missed any relevant subtext, PLEASE feel free to send it to me to add! Obviously, I love this stuff.

Onwards & upwards. We can only hope Steve & Bucky get a happy ending–something I think even non-shipper audiences want to see, based on how intrinsically their storylines are tied & how tragically they're framed as never coming home from war. But that's a thread for another time.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (lol):
My eternal love to @mblursen. She is my partner in Stevebucky hell & she’s been dealing with me during this process & beta-testing it periodically for months.

If you liked this thread, here’s some music for your mood 😛
open.spotify.com/user/alwaysano…

PS the lovely @threadreaderapp compiled this into a link 😊 threadreaderapp.com/thread/1085731…

✨ UPDATE: A heroic anon sent this to my Tumblr!

The background of comic book character Arnie Roth was used for Bucky in the MCU. Arnie was Jewish & gay, had a boyfriend of 10 years, & was Cap's best friend in the 80s.
uproxx.com/entertainment/…

Highlights:

This isn't conjecture; the creator confirmed.

Baron Zemo was even lifted from this, meaning–to me–the writers still have Arnie in the back of their heads.

I say that because even when there was going to be Cap 3, not CW, Zemo was planned to be involved.
screenrant.com/captain-americ…

However: this essentially means that the writers used a Jewish & gay character as a the framework for MCU's Bucky Barnes, & erased both of those extremely important aspects.

Unless they've got something up their sleeves we don't know about... & considering this, they'd better.

IT LIVES!
By popular demand, this is now on Tumblr!
Every single one of you who voted on the poll and asked me to post it over there is contractually obligated to reblog this because it took hours! Thank you and good afternoon! 💀

alwaysanoriginal.tumblr.com/post/182168350…

Oh hey. Guess what?
There's more.

In TWS, Steve's apartment address is 1614 20th Ave NW.
This is in Dupont Circle, which is...
The #1 "gayborhood" in the DC area.

Images/info for apartment:
• enechelon.tumblr.com/post/876349325…
• nanoochka.tumblr.com/post/101702068…

DC info:
rent.com/blog/best-wash…

So basically, both apartments Steve canonically lived in–past and present–are in gay neighborhoods.

Which also means that Bucky's entrance into the film and first "reunion" on screen with Steve (directly after "It's Been A Long, Long Time" plays) is in a gay neighborhood.

Okay.