Thursday Movie Picks - Romance Tropes Edition: Friends to Lovers

Wandering Through the Shelves hosts Thursday Movie Picks. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. 

The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

This week is  TMP Television Edition: Romance Tropes Edition: Friends to Lovers. I inadvertently went for a superhero theme this week. Blogger is giving me a tough time uploading pictures, so this will be gif-free until I can add them in later.

Spider-Man (2002)

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man is considered a bit of a cult classic and revolutionary superhero movie. It adapts the comic books in a more traditional sense with over-the-top characters like Willem DaFoe's Green Globin and more practical effects. But there's something innocent to love about Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst charming friends-to-lovers chemistry. Of course, when she needs a superhero most, Peter shows up at her side and she falls in love with his alter-ago Spider-Man before Peter himself. But it's a nice start to their relationship which won't become official until the sequel.

I haven't seen Spider-Man: Far From Home so I don't know if Tom Holland and Zendaya's relationship of Peter and MJ would count here. Don't leave spoilers in the comments please. :)

Black Panther (2018)

Nakia is much different in the comic books, so it's hard to tell if her and T'Challa took a more direct route from friends to lovers to back again in the movie. But she's a rogue spy who has an off-and-on again relationship, especially when she's in the Wakandan region. Their relationship is refreshing among so many movie couples in general because they have true different visions for what Wakanda can become. While T'Challa is on his quest to become King, and Erik Killmonger ascends to the throne in his place, Nakia becomes the heroine in shining armor out to save him. Their relationship also reverses the damsel in distress trope. And, who can't appreciate how the chemistry between Lupita N'Yongo and Chadwick Boseman is so playful, flirtatious, and bad-ass.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

I couldn't ignore the biggest romance in the MCU. Peggy Carter is technically the destined soulmate for Steve Rogers once they meet in training at Camp Leigh, but they develop a connection of respect as he is chosen for the Project Rebirth. They spend a good portion of the film getting to know each other and building up the mantle of Captain America kicking ass all over Europe. It's unfortunate that they don't kiss until 2/3 of the film is over, and their first date is only a promise to hold Steve over as he crashes the Red Skull's plane into the ice... But it's a good thing he's able to make up for it even if he's 82 years too late and finally get to live out their future together.