Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez and more lead the cast of Marvel's newest movie, 'Captain America: Brave New World.'

In 2025, maybe it’s not surprising to hear that pop culture fans read queer subtext in a TV show or movie. But 10 years ago, it was audacious, particularly when that gayness was applied to one of the biggest (and straightest) franchises in the history of cinema: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Brave New World does have a post-credits scene, for what that’s worth, but it’s a baffling one, particularly compared with the MCU’s usual habit of using the post-credits space to drum up excitement for the next movie on Marvel’s roster. Let’s dig in.