Yes, Marvel Made Another Cap Butt Joke – But It’s Actually Important

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law brings back the joke from Avengers: Endgame about Captain America’s ass, but puts a new spin on it. At first glance, the America’s ass joke in Avengers: Endgame seemed like a tongue-in-cheek nod to the MCU fans who had thirsted over Chris Evans’ butt in his Captain America costumes. However, the lines were actually written in reference to Evans being uncomfortable with his costume from The Avengers. That explains why the America’s ass comments are depicted as largely platonic, with the scene featuring men offering friendly commentary on their teammate’s posterior.

In Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) makes the unequivocally incorrect assessment that The Avengers‘ era Captain America suit does “nothing” for Steve’s ass, which prompts Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang to deliver the loyal defense, “I think you look great, Cap. As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass.” Evans’ Steve Rogers makes a callback to the joke a little later, with his acceptance of Scott’s praise by saying, “That is America’s ass,” while looking at his younger self’s butt. Like with many things in media – and the MCU – these comments about Captain America’s ass have been interpreted by viewers differently, taking on a life of their own and being used to pay not-so-respectful tribute to Evans’ butt. Now, for the first time, the MCU is making the explicitly thirsty reactions to Captain America’s ass canon.

In the She-Hulk episode 1 mid-credits scene, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) drunkenly laments the prospect of Steve Rogers dying a virgin, especially with “that ass.” Of course, Hulk confirms Steve Rogers was not a virgin, which prompts Jen to drop the drunk act and revel in the knowledge, crying out, “Captain America f—!” The scene is clearly the MCU Phase 4’s latest callback to the Avengers: Endgame joke – but it’s also a new, unabashedly horny take on America’s ass.

Captain America’s Ass Joke Makes She-Hulk Marvel’s Horniest Show

The MCU overall is rather sexless, in part because it’s a family-friendly Disney franchise, but there’s a larger trend of action movies moving away from including love interests, romance and sex, with it seeming to be less common than in previous decades. But sex, and people’s relationship with it (or lack of one), is still a part of the human experience – it’s just one the MCU doesn’t address very often. That isn’t the case in She-Hulk. In the very first episode, the protagonist is fixated on whether Steve Rogers has had sex and drunkenly cries over Captain America’s ass. Even though Jen may be putting on an act, her display in the She-Hulk credits scene is arguably the most explicitly horny a character has been in the MCU since Peggy Carter touched Steve Rogers’ super soldier pecs in Captain America: The First Avenger. It’s a low bar to be the horniest movie or show in the MCU, but with Jen’s love for America’s ass, She-Hulk easily surpasses it.

Beyond just depicting its lead character as horny, though, the She-Hulk credits scene gives Jen an ownership over her sexuality that’s not typically afforded women in the MCU. Sure, Tony Stark and Peter Quill’s sexual exploits are referenced and lauded, but the women they sleep with (besides their main love interests) are often not given much agency of their own. Between Jen’s open appreciation of Steve Rogers’ ass, her fixation on his sex life and future episodes tackling her dating, She-Hulk has a positive and nuanced relationship to sex, making her unlike any other female character in the MCU. As a result, She-Hulk comes off as a well-developed and relatable character (seriously, what MCU fan who’s attracted to men hasn’t drunkenly cried over Captain America’s ass?).

Ultimately, She-Hulk‘s interpretation of the Captain America’s ass joke reframes it through Jen’s eyes, which filters it through her character’s horniness – and her relationship to sex – and effectively shines a new light on the Endgame joke. This new light reflects the conversations real fans have had about Captain America’s ass, bringing those conversations into the official universe without judgement. Thus, She-Hulk broadens the MCU’s discussion of human sexuality in a positive way – all while also having a fun callback to Avengers: Endgame.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law release Thursdays on Disney+.