15 Crazy Facts You Just Have To Accept To Enjoy The Marvel Cinematic Universe

3. Forced Romance Is A "Necessary" Evil

It's startling that, in 2014, Hollywood executives still believe that pretty much every major Hollywood blockbuster needs to be loaded with romance in order to function. Just look at the MCU: Iron Man has Pepper, Hulk has Betty (Liv Tyler), Thor has Jane, Cap had Peggy and it was hinted that there might be something there with Black Widow in The Winter Soldier, and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) nearly hooked up with Gamora. In fairness, the real problematic romance in the MCU is Thor and Jane's: it's played as immensely forced from day one, thrown in there without any real consideration or development, and though it fared slightly better in The Dark World, it was still incredibly lame and wildly unnecessary. What a relief it is, then, that Jane reportedly dumps Thor between The Dark World and Age of Ultron... Still, as much as one hates to admit it, romances like this are part and parcel of the Hollywood system: they make studio execs more confident in the product's commercial viability, and as a result they're more likely to throw the big bucks their way. Yes, it's cynical, but that's how predictable studio heads think audiences are. What Can Be Done About It?: Nothing, really. Generic, forgettable romances are always going to be a part of big-budget movies, and it's probably not worth expecting any less from Ant-Man or whatever other characters end up joining the MCU. There's just the hope that these slushy romantic asides are at least kept to a minimum.