Marvel has done better with its LGBT+ representation since then, with the likes of Brian Tyree Henry and Tessa Thompson both playing queer characters in the MCU – but this first attempt felt like a patronising slap on the cheek.
Whether it’s fan backlash, unhappy creators, disgruntled actors or just criticism over sloppy craftsmanship, it often feels like Marvel is never far away from its next stumbling block.
“We were asked about the rumours that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America,” Evans said in a statement after the controversy broke.
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008, even the most ardent of fans wouldn’t have believed that it would still be going strong 17 years later.
Whether it was fan backlash or mind-boggling creative decisions Greg Evans looks back at 12 times the studio found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
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