“What if these two [Steve and Natasha] are smart enough to know that it would never work out between them? It really plays out as more of a work-wife/work-husband relationship. And yeah, of course there’s sexual tension between them, but I think she’s more interested in pulling him into the modern world and try to help him find that identity he was looking for.”

the Russos re: Steve and Nat in Cap 2 [x] (via philcoulson)

When I saw the movie, I definitely read the vibe between Steve and Natasha as primarily platonic - there was a moment when i think they each mentally tried on the idea, then went, “That would be fun for two hours and then turn into an unmitigated disaster.”

(via yahtzee63)

In addition to the big action fun of Cap 2, I love that we got to see Captain America and Black Widow work together. They showed mutual respect, which included an element of wariness— Steve had understandable concerns about Natasha’s loyalties, Natasha had just as understandable concerns about Steve’s naivete— and they helped each other compensate for those weaknesses, which made them a great team. On an interpersonal level, we got to see their relationship grow from teammates to friends. Best of all, each of them acknowledged that they found the other attractive…

…but they didn’t have sex or pair off romantically in any way. \o/! Natasha wasn’t there to be a “love interest,” she was there as Steve’s teammate, his foil*, his equal and his friend. That’s so sadly rare, but let’s hope this starts a trend.

*It’s actually pretty genius to pair up these two characters— they’re such complete opposites on paper, the wild card former KGB assassin turned hero and the legendary American patriot turned skeptic. They contrast and compliment each other so well. I don’t expect Black Widow to play a big part in Cap 3— I think that’s going to be all Cap and Falcon, and I adored Sam and the dynamic between Sam and Steve, so I am 1000% fine with that— but I’m really happy she was such a major part of this one. And I hope the success of Cap 2 and the prominence of Black Widow in the marketing paves the way for a Black Widow solo movie that picks up her thread from here, searching for a way to go straight in a world where every road seems to bend toward compromise. I would watch the hell out of that movie.

(via codenamecesare)