Warning: This article contains spoilers for most MCU movies. Proceed with caution.
All the action and adrenaline of superhero movies don’t always leave time for romance, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been able to expertly weave great relationships into the mix. Who would Iron Man be without his Girl Friday? We shudder at the thought because a great love makes everyone a better person. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re counting down the MCU’s top 10 worst to best couples. While we can’t really say any of them are bad, there are some that we’re over before viewers had the chance to really enjoy them.
Both versions of Ant-Man and the Wasp made the cut, but which of the couples in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was higher on the list? Read below to find out.
10. T’Challa and Nakia
It was clear in Black Panther that T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) still harbored feelings for his former flame Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). Although they never officially became a couple on-screen, they did sometime between the events of Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, because Nakia had his child, who was introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
9. Peter Quill and Gamora
This will-they or won’t-they couple from Guardians of the Galaxy had finally become a couple when Gamora was tragically sacrificed by Thanos (Josh Brolin) for the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War. While they are both warriors, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is more in touch with his feelings and was able to soften up the, sometimes, harsher side of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). From the looks of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, they may get a second chance at love, unless she pushes him into the arms of her sister. Who saw that coming?
8. Thor and Jane
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane (Natalie Portman) were such a cute couple in the first Thor movie. Their romance continued in Thor: The Dark World, but then viewers found out in Thor: Ragnarok that things had come to an end. Their relationship was revisited in Thor: Love and Thunder, making it clear they still loved one another, but things sadly didn’t last after Jane died of cancer.
7. Peter and MJ
One of the healthiest relationships in the MCU – Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya) – is also the youngest couple on this list. They started out as friends and fell in love over the span of several movies. Despite only being teenagers, they show a great amount of love and respect for one another, which is a good sign for any relationship. After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, they may need to start completely start over in the next Spider-Man film. Well, that’s one way to keep a relationship fresh.
6. Scott and Hope
He’s a (sometimes) reformed thief and she’s a brilliant scientist. They say opposites attract and this couple attracts like an ant to honey. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) team up as Ant-Man and the Wasp and like any great couple, they complement each other. When one falls, the other is there to pick them up. They have each other’s backs and will face any threat as a united front and make each other laugh. The next obstacle they face will be Kang (Jonathan Majors) in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, after Team Ant-Man is sucked into the Quantum Realm.
5. Tony and Pepper
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) keeps Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) on her toes, while she keeps Tony in line, and is possibly the only person who can. They’re cute, they’re funny and can sass each other better than anyone. Pepper finally made an honest man out of Tony, and they lived the perfect life with their daughter until Tony ultimately sacrificed himself to put an end to Thanos.
4. Wanda and Vision
This unlikely pairing came together while Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) was grieving the loss of her twin brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Somehow, the artificial intelligence known as Vision (Paul Bettany) was more compassionate than a house full of humans. During one of their heart-to-heart moments, he wisely told Wanda “What is grief, if not love persevering?” Vision felt the need to watch over and protect Wanda, and their love blossomed from there. The love they felt, or at least the love Wanda felt for Vision, was highlighted in Wanda’s sitcom fantasy world during WandaVision, with them having twin boys.
3. Clint and Laura
All the Avengers – except Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) – were surprised when it was revealed during Avengers: Age of Ultron that Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) was a family man with two children and a very pregnant wife named Laura (Linda Cardellini). The couple have seemingly been together for a long time, after meeting as operatives in S.H.I.E.L.D., and now keep a low profile for safety reasons. The happy couple have a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere and keep to themselves, living the life a lot of the other Avengers wish for themselves.
2. Hank and Janet
Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) are two the most intelligent people in the world, and were the original Ant-Man and the Wasp. Janet sacrificed herself to save the world by going subatomic and getting trapped in the Quantum Realm. Despite being trapped in the Quantum Realm for more than 30 years, Hank and Janet’s love never died and they were happily reunited at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp.
1. Steve and Peggy
There’s not many people who would carry a torch for someone across time, but Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) loved Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) despite meeting and falling in love with her 70 years prior. Peggy fell for Steve before he even turned into a super soldier. They promised each other a dance, but then Steve was frozen in ice and their dance seemed destined to never happen. Their destinies crossed paths again when Steve returned all the Infinity Stones and decided to make good on that dance, and make his happily ever after a reality. In the end, time was no obstacle for true love.
