Much has been made about the “friendship” between Captain America and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though most take their relationship as face value, there is a growing subset of fans who are reading a little bit more into their bond, something far more romantic. They even have a clever portmanteau: Stucky (Steve/Bucky). There have been entire articles examining the “barely concealed intimations of love” between Cap and Bucky. And don’t even get me started on Tumblr. All that speculation and slashfic is about to get a major boost as the directors of the upcoming Captain America: Civil War have described the movie as a “love story.”

Joe Russo, one half of the Russo brothers directing Civil War, told Empire, “What’s fascinating about the Cap-Bucky story…is it’s a love story.” OH DO TELL.

These are two guys who grew up together, and so they have that same emotional connection to each other as brothers would, and even more so because Bucky was all Steve had growing up.

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Pump them brakes Stucky fans. Bucky Barnes himself, Sebastian Stan, wants you to take a cold shower:

I think it’s easy and generalizing it to say that they’re lovers […] I have no qualms with it but I think people like to see it much more as a love story than it actually is. It’s brotherhood to me.

The fanfic community has always been hot on Cap and Bucky, but it was launched into a new era last year when Marvel debuted new Captain America: Civil War footage at D23 (which has yet to debut online), that included the now popular phrase, “Your Bucky.”

Now, we all know that at least in terms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America and Bucky aren’t gay and aren’t really in romantic love with each other, but this is why we have subtext. Unfortunately in this day and age, modern blockbusters aren’t quite ready for that subtext to become the actual text (though if Bucky was a woman, it almost assuredly would be a romantic relationship), and that frustration with the lack of gay relationships in mainstream movies manifests itself with slashfic and all the Stucky love. Hopefully one day soon, a film of this level will actually address the potential for same sex romance among superheroes, eliminating the need for slashfic.

Until then, Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters on May 6.

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