The One Scene That Nearly Ruined Captain America: Civil War
Of all the trilogies that exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, the one centering on Captain America (Chris Evans) is arguably the most varied. The franchise within a franchise kicked off in 2011 with "Captain America: The First Avenger," which covered Steve Rogers' turn from a skinny kid from Brooklyn into a superhero through a stylized, action-packed period piece. It ended with his arrival in the present-day following an extensive stay frozen in ice, thus setting the stage for both 2012's "The Avengers" and its more direct sequel, 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
The second installment in the Cap trilogy took things in a vastly different direction from the first. Now in the 21st-century, Steve Rogers once again finds himself in the middle of a HYDRA plot to take over the world — bringing him face-to-face with his brainwashed former best friend, Bucky "Winter Soldier" Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Audiences absolutely ate up this spy thriller, prompting Marvel Studios to release "Captain America: Civil War" a mere two years later. Featuring several MCU mainstays, this movie saw our heroes clash over differences personal, philosophical, and legal — ending the series on a dramatic high note.
To this day, "Civil War" remains a favorite in the Marvel fandom, but it's by no means a perfect film. In fact, one particular scene nearly derailed the entire thing.
Steve and Sharon's uncomfortable kiss
Aside from finding his way in the modern era, dealing with the turbulent state of the Avengers, and avoiding custody after not signing the Sokovia Accords, Captain America also had a slight romantic edge to his life around the time of "Civil War." Early on in the film, he learns that the love of his life from the 1940s, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), has died, leaving him understandably upset. Nevertheless, he comes to his senses and soldiers on as he always has — making the questionable decision of locking lips with Peggy's niece, Sharon (Emily VanCamp) and causing everyone watching it happen to do a puzzled double-take.
Introduced in "The Winter Soldier," Sharon Carter has taken on a strange role in Steve Rogers' life. Their romance has been teased time and time again, most overtly in "Civil War," but it never fully came to fruition. On the surface, there's nothing too odd about this, seeing as they exhibit some amount of chemistry and at least appear to be in the same age range. However, considering how often the MCU has touted Peggy as Steve's true love and the fact that she and Sharon are blood relatives, there's something to be said for the confusion and discomfort behind Sharon and Steve's kiss.
Clearly, Marvel Studios listened to the largely negative fan response to Sharon Carter's budding romance with Steve, hence why the story disappeared beyond "Civil War." It was jarring, to say the least, and remains a weird moment in the grand scheme of the saga. Ultimately, Steve Rogers got his happy ending in the closing moments of "Avengers: Endgame" by traveling through time to live out his days with Peggy Carter. As for Sharon, she's doing well for herself as a kingpin in the criminal underworld, so overall, no harm done.