Captain America Kiss – The Most Controversial Moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

When it comes to iconic cinematic kisses, the list is long and varied — from Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane’s upside down smooch in Spider-Man to Cher and Josh’s third-act embrace in Clueless. But if you ask some fans, one of the worst kisses in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the one between Chris Evans’ Captain America and Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter in the 2016 film, Captain America: Civil War. The pair’s budding romance was cringeworthy for many, not least because Sharon is actually Peggy Carter’s (Hayley Atwell) great niece and they have a familial connection.

But that isn’t the only reason why the scene was controversial. As the pair were both agents of S.H.I.E.L.D at the time, their relationship is never explicitly explained. This, along with the fact that Cap subsequently froze himself in a different reality at the end of Avengers: Endgame, makes their bond even more questionable.

Speaking to Variety, Emily VanCamp recently addressed the backlash against her and Evans’ kiss, revealing that she didn’t expect such a negative reaction. However, she did note that it isn’t uncommon to receive such feedback on social media.

In the article, VanCamp also revealed that she’s glad the moment has since been relegated to the back of fans’ minds. She’s now focusing on the return of her character in the second season of the Disney+ series, Falcon and Winter Soldier. She’ll return alongside her co-stars Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk) and Chris Evans (Captain America) in April.