Since the original post about the line has been going around, I've been thinking about the "It's hard to find someone with shared life experience" line from Steve in The Winter Soldier.
Yes it sets up parallels between Steve and Bucky, whatever. I don't know that it was actually meant to do that. The viewer should understand without being told that Steve and Bucky have shared lived experience.
That scene has always struck me much more as establishing the relationship that Steve and SAM were going to have. The movie said Steve is searching for shared life experience and then plops Sam down in front of him like, okay, here!
(Reckless) Military man part of experimental technology? ✅️
Lost your best friend during a military mission right in front of you? ✅️
"All I had to do was hold on."
"It's like I was just up there to watch."
Displaced soldiers--out of time, out of service ✅️
Anti-authority 99% of the time ✅️
"The number of people giving me orders is down to...zero 😊"
"I'm not looking for forgiveness and I'm way past asking for permission."
(I mean, I could find these quotes all day)
Heart of gold and moral compass stronger than magnetic North? ✅️
"Not a perfect soldier, but a good man."
Fiercely loyal and natural born leader? ✅️
Specialized training used to protect people at great personal sacrifice? ✅️
"I do what he does, just slower."
Loss of family as affective but off-screen development? ✅️
Strong ties to one geographic location that shaped them? ✅️
Sam's theme song is literally called Louisiana Hero
Ridiculous relationship with one James Bucky Barnes, who is understandably obsessed with each of them? ✅️
I mean, I just can't believe how tightly interwoven Steve and Sam's stories are. Of course Sam gets the shield. Of course he's Captain America. Of course he's Steve's best friend. THEY are each other's parallels. Sam is everything Captain America should be. He's everything Steve needed and wanted in a friend/partner/successor. I always think Sam was kind of the first breath of fresh air Steve got, the first time he felt less alone in the future. They're mirrors of each other. Someone they could reach recognize themselves in. It's such a beautiful relationship that Marvel should have done more with.
That line is always going to be a SamSteve line to me 🤷♀️