From Comics to the MCU, 21 Marvel Couples We Love
If you’re a fan of the MCU or Marvel Comics, you probably have a few favorite “ships”. These relationships between characters are sometimes what we watch these movies for, to see them grow over time and watch their stories play out, in this multi-movie or multi-comic medium. It’s excited to say the least! Here, we’ve taken some of the most popular MCU and Marvel Comics couples and ranked them from least favorite to favorite. If you have a different opinion, definitely leave it in the comics!
# 21 – Sersi and Dane
The only good thing I have to say about Dane is that he’s played by Kit Harrington. Sersi is being pulled between two Game of Thrones boys (Ikaris is played by Richard Madden).
#20 – Sersi and Ikaris
If you watched the Eternals, Sersi and Ikaris previous relationship is a big point for the film. When the movie starts, Sersi is in her human form and dating a human named Dane. Ikaris is clearly jealous – Sersi and him had been together for centuries, they understood each other like no one else did.
*Spoilers for Eternals below*
But sadly, all of this wasn’t enough. By the end of the movie, it was impossible to support Ikaris. He went full evil, planning on enacting the plan that had been placed upon him by the higher-ups. He and Sersi wouldn’t recover from that (at least not in this movie).
#19 – Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow and Bruce Banner / Hulk
Natasha and Bruce are THE worst couple in the entirety of the MCU. If there were strong feelings toward any couple on this list, sadly it’s this one. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner begin a relationship and start to depend on each other – particularly Bruce on Natasha. In an especially cringey moment, Natasha is able to sing a lullaby to calm down Hulk and bring back Bruce.
Moments like these are not why this couple ranks lowwww. There’s not much chemistry between the two, it truly felt like just another way to pair our only female Avenger (this was the movie where Wanda and Pietro are introduced, both as villains – so only Natasha for now) with one of her male counterparts. Splitting up Clint Barton and Natasha was a weird decision for the entire MCU – and I hope, years out, they regret it.
#18 – Clint Barton / Hawkeye and Laura Barton
Unfortunately for Laura, this is one of the least interesting ships in the entirety of Marvel. It’s not really their fault! Sadly, the reveal that Hawkeye is married two an average woman, with two kids, living a nice little farmhouse life, just wasn’t the reveal they hoped it would be. Instead of it feeling sweet, it felt like getting the rug pulled out from under you. In Avengers, Black Widow and Clint Barton felt like they had something going on that fans were excited to learn about in the future… I’m glad that Clint and Laura are happy, and I’m glad that Laura and the kids returned from The Snap. Just wish it wasn’t the more boring option for Clint…
#17 – Druig and Makkari
If you watched the Eternals, you most likely remember these two. A mind-controller and a speedster, who have been around for over thousands of years, still flirting with each other like two 20-somethings. They’re moments together in Eternals are some of the most lively, and really make out characters feel human – even though they’re not. Unfortunately, Makarri and Druig don’t go anywhere in this film – maybe if we get an Eternals 2 we can hear a little more about where their relationship went.
#16 – Loki and Sylvie
Who isn’t attracted to themselves? Ok, maybe not… but still! The storyline between these characters has been great, and there’s clearly a love growing between the two. Season 1 brought the two together and gave us a few fantastic moments of the two Lokis really leaning on each other, bonding over their traumatic pasts, the differences and the similarities.
Loki as a show discusses multiple dimensions and time travel, and I believe there’s something inherently romantic about that. Sadly, season 2 kept these two characters away from each other for most of the season, so their story didn’t have many chances to grow. While what we saw of this couple is interesting so far, there’s just not enough to go off of to have them any higher on this list.
#15 – Medusa and Black Bolt
Medusa and Black Bolt have a long-lasting comic relationship, having existed since December, 1965. Since Black Bolt does not have the ability to speak, due to his voice having destructive power, Medusa is his main communicator. The two mostly communicate through sign language and body language – showing how much they know each other. The two definitely have a deep level of trust.
#14 – Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange and Christine Palmer
If you’re looking for an eh couple with an eh ending, look no further than Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer’s relationship as seen in the Doctor Strange films.
Stephen and Christine open the first Doctor Strange as just friends, or at least as recent romantic partners who have decided that being friends is the better route. You can tell there’s a lot of love between them, but they’ve clearly decided (we all know Christine probably made this choice) to just be friends and coworkers, both surgeons in New York City.
That doesn’t change the fact that Christine attempts to give Stephen the support he needed after his life-changing car accident that ruined his hands. Stephen doesn’t listen and instead pursues insane experimental routes to get his hands back, becoming the magical sorcerer and the titular role, Doctor Strange.
It isn’t until nearly the finale that Christine makes another appearance, again helping to save the life of her dear friend after his nearly fatal fight with another sorcerer, Kaecilius.
When Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness starts, its pretty clear that Stephen is sadly attending Christine’s wedding to another man. She clearly seems happy, even if (through the events of the film) it’s shown that Stephen clearly feels she was the one that got away.
While I can appreciate what Christine Palmer means to Stephen, clearly she’s moved on and chosen a man named Charlie. Christine is a woman who knows what she wants, and she did not want to deal with Stephen Strange for the rest of her life.
#13 – Thor and Jane Foster
You might not have known this, but Thor and Jane have known each other for a long time. Jane first met Thor as Dr. Donald Blake, a doctor she worked for as a nurse. By 1966, Jane knew Blake was Thor and had even been taken to meet his Asgardian parents! Throughout the years Jane and Thor have grown closer and closer, even if their stories have separated them for many years at a time.
While these two didn’t make it that high up our list, there’s something romantic about Thor and Jane always returning to each other. Much like in the film Thor: Love and Thunder, eventually Jane is diagnosed with cancer. In a strikingly romantic moment Thor takes her up to the moon to give her one more beautiful glance.
When Thor eventually loses the mantle of Thor itself, Mjolnir calls to Jane to take it on. For a while Jane operates as the only Thor, even going against the terrifying Mangog in order to protect the Asgardians, sacrificing her life to do so. Afterwards, realizing her story on Earth is not over, Thor (the original Thor) works with his father to combine their strength and bring her back to life.
If your man isn’t willing to rip you from the gates of Valhalla, is he really the one?
#12 – Jessica Jones and Luke Cage
Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are a long-standing power couple, first meeting in the Alias comics in 2001. It’s interesting to see two characters make it work, even with their traumatic backstories. Luke and Jess have both confided in each other their traumas, things that both characters hadn’t admitted to anyone else.
When Jess got pregnant with Luke’s child – that’s when the relationship truly became real. Jess gave birth to their daughter, Danielle Cage, who would grow up to follow in her father’s footsteps – complete with superstrength and impenetrability. Jess and Luke would eventually get married, making the lasting commitment to be with each other. Currently they’re still committed to each other.
Luke and Jess, while not perfect, have a down to each story, just with a little sprinkle of superpowers and crime-fighting. Fans of the Netflix series had been begging for their long-lasting relationship for a while, but now with the Defenders moving to Disney+ and the Netflix era is over… we’re left in the dark about the on-screen futures of these two.
#11 – Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Van Dyne / Wasp
Although Ant-Man and the Wasp are a long-standing couple in the comics (both are founding members of the Avengers!), Scott and Hope’s relationship is completely original. That makes them pretty unique when it comes to this list.
Scott and Hope first meet when the Scott is hired by Hope’s father, Hank Pym, to use the Ant-Man suit and complete an important heist. Hope is initially put off by the thief – jealous that her father didn’t choose her to wear the suit. But as the film continues, their initial friction evolves into genuine care for each other. Throughout the rest of the films (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) their relationship grows, and the two become superhero partners and lovers.
While maybe a little less iconic, and left without the pull of a comic storyline, Scott and Hope are cute! A wholesome couple to say the least.
#10 – Rogue and Gambit
Rounding out our Top 10 we’ve got Rogue and Gambit! These hot Southerners take our breath away for sure. Since the 90s these two have been a HOT couple. But it’s their transition from hot, sexy, flirting to real romantic love that makes this couple worthwhile.
Initially, when the two began falling in love, Rogue was still unable to touch those she cared about or else she would drain their powers and leave them feeling weak. This inability to touch added to their attraction to each other, and Gambit’s bad-boy-attitude left him wanting to break the rules. It wasn’t until 2008 that Rogue learned to control her powers, celebrating the only way she knew how – with a bis kiss on Gambit’s lips.
The two are now married and living out their lives on the island of Krakoa. Probably not going to be a happy ending with the way comics usually work, but we can hope!
#9 – Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker / Spider-Man
I’m sure you all know the tragic story between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. If you haven’t read it in the comics, you might’ve seen it played out in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Although the details change (in the comics it was Green Goblin, in the film it’s the Lizard) the end result remains the same. Gwen Stacy, in the heat of a battle, was flung off of a very tall something, and in an effort to save her, Peter flung out his web and grabbed her before she could hit the ground. It was this quick decision making that made Peter such a great hero. But this time, his web couldn’t save the day. Gwen’s spine snapped, killing her instantly.
While a horribly tragic ending, this event truly solidifies the couple in the Marvel Hall of Fame (or at least mine). Gwen was a great partner for Peter at the time – a grounding presence and an all-around sweet girl who gave Peter the love he needed to stay sane. Peter is never the same after losing her.
#8 – Reed Richards and Sue Storm
Reed Richards and Sue Storm are Marvel comic’s longest running couple, the two have been married since 1965! However, there are a few reasons that we didn’t select these two to be in the top 5.
The two are clearly in love, often choosing each other over anything. Well… at the very least, Sue does. Reed Richards, on the other hand, is known for getting lost in his work. Sue often has to pull her husband out of his studies to remind him of her and their marriage.
While it’s true that Reed is one of the smartest men alive – he definitely acts like it. There’s a bit of arrogance in the way he treats his wife and the other members of the Fantastic Four.
And to put some pressure on Sue, her relationship and continual attraction to Namor isn’t the best… but she always chooses Reed in the end. The two go on to raise two beautiful children, Franklin and Valeria.
While the challenges of superhero life are often thrown at these two, they always end up back together, and there is something admirable about that.
#7 – Jean Grey and Cyclops
Jean Grey and Scott Summers are THE X-Men power couple. It’s hard not to have them right at the top. If you like drama-filled, tumultuous, conflicted relationships, then this one’s for you! Jean and Scott met when they both joined the X-Men, both now under the wing of Charles Xavier.
Although their love for each other has always been strong, outside forces and new love interests always had their ways of sneaking between them. Jean’s telekinetic powers are some of the strongest around, making her incredibly susceptible to manipulation from bad guys. Scott always stood by her side, attempting to bring her back to the good side. It’s this commitment that’s so great to see, even in the world of comic books. Scott and Jean are currently living together in the X-Men comic world, on the island of Krakoa. Due to complications I can’t explain here, this island is full of challenges for the couple and especially Scott, who is one of the leaders in this new space. We’re excited to see where this relationship goes!
The X-Men are now apart of the Disney catalogue, so we can expect to see more of them in the MCU now. Soon, X-Men ’97 will be out on Disney+, where we’ll be getting even more of Scott and Jean.
#6 – T’Challa / Black Panther and Nakia
Black Panther opens, and immediately we know something is going on between T’Challa and Nakia. When her mission is interrupted by the Black Panther, heavy flirtation begins between them. These two are into each other and their tension could be cut with a knife! Throughout the film we see multiple moments where the two prove their loyalty and love for each other. While we don’t get to see T’Challa and Nakia in a relationship past the first movie, Black Panther 2 does shine some light on to how serious they were as a couple.
*spoilers ahead for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*
The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever post-credits scene revealed that Nakia and T’Challa had chosen to have a son before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. To keep him away from the dangers and pressures of the Wakandan throne, the two chose to raise him far away, on the island of Haiti. The second film introduces us to the lasting legacy of King T’Challa, promising a bright future Prince T’Challa.
#5 – Steve Rogers / Captain America and Peggy Carter
Steve Rogers and his old-time love Peggy Carter. Swoooooon. It’s admirable that a relationship that seriously only lasted one movie is this well remembered and loved, but maybe that’s because Steve himself never forgot about the love of his life.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers met in the army – she was a an officer working with the Strategic Scientific Reserve, who were currently working on the supr Soldier Serum. The two were pretty immediately drawn to each other – she saw his heroism; she saw his heart, and he was immediately attracted to her intelligence, strength, and compassion. Captain America: The First Avenger shows the two sharing a wonderful kiss before he heads into his fight with Red Skull. However, to save the world from the explosion energy of the Tesseract, Steve crashes his plane in the arctic, but not before promising Peggy a dance one day.
After waking up decades in the future, Steve does find Peggy again. Now an 80 year old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Peggy and Steve reconnect and they’re able to occasionally share memories about the past. However, in Captain America: Civil War, Peggy officially passes and Steve solemnly attends her funeral.
It isn’t until Avengers: Endgame that the two reunite. After setting the world right with the help of the other Avengers, Steve gets his happy ending, finally. Steve is able to travel back in time and he chooses to live out a life with Peggy instead of returning to the present. It’s one of the happiest endings any of these superheroes ever get – the ability to retire in old age with the love of his life. Swooooooon.
#4 – Peter Quill / Star-Lord and Gamora
While this couple’s comic history is a little complicated (did they even date before the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) movie came out?), their MCU storyline must be appreciated. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is one of the best MCU movies to be released recently, and their relationship in it is one of the best parts.
To give you a refresher, in Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter and Gamora met and worked through their original animosity and became genuinely close friends and teammates. In the second film, the two seem to genuinely build a connection, often confessing their romantic feelings, even if their past traumas tend to get in the way of the creation of anything super stable. But the flirtation and romantic tension is at its peak here and you can see the beginnings of love.
All of that comes to a tragic stop in Avengers: Infinity War. When Peter learns that Gamora was murdered by Thanos so that he could obtain an infinity stone, Peter flies into a fit of rage, a scene so reckless that it allows Thanos to get the upper hand make his exit to Earth. It’s a disastrous mistake – it’s pretty much the exact reason Thanos was able to dust half of the universe’s life to dust. Peter’s reaction, while still horribly reckless, is one of pure emotion, and shows just how much he loved his alien girlfriend – enough to risk the world for her.
Finally, in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Peter has the chance to connect with a past version of Gamora, one who was ripped out of the past and placed in the present during the events of Avengers: Endgame. It’s an interesting situation to place our hero in. He’s clearly trying to connect with the Gamora he knew, somehow trying to bring her back in the form of this new Gamora. She rejects his advances – she’s clearly not the same person he knew but he keeps trying. In the end, Peter earns himself some closure and past-Gamora finds a new family in The Ravagers.
Guardians 3 did its best to provide us all closure for the Peter/Gamora ship, even if the devastating death of original Gamora left wounds that scarred beyond repair.
#3 – Wanda / Scarlet Witch and Vision
Scarlet Witch and Vision have been a canon couple in the comments for a loooong time – their first meeting taking place all the way in 1963. Both characters were originally anti-Avenger, Vision having been created by the evil Ultron to defeat the Avengers, and Scarlet Witch, a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. It was when they both decided to join the Avengers to pursue a life of “good” that their romance began.
In the MCU, Wanda and Vision had a similar beginning. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision was created by combining a synthetic body, Tony Stark’s digital assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. and the energy of the Mind Stone to bring him to life. He aligns with the Avengers and immediately helps to fight Ultron. In the same film, Wanda (and her brother Pietro) were initially on Ultron’s side, their resentment towards Tony Stark and the Avengers were being manipulated, but once the two see the destruction that Ultron intends to create, they end up working with the Avengers and Vision!
Wanda and Vision’s romance begins during the events of Captain America: Civil War and continue on through the events of Avengers: Infinity War. However… their romance is cut short when it is revealed that the Mind Stone, which gives Vision life, must be destroyed, and Wanda is the only one who can do it. After sacrificing himself for the greater good, Wanda deals with the loss of her one true love in the events of WandaVision, going so far as to reanimate his body. Their relationship so far has ended on a tragic note, making their ship one of the most complex and interesting in the entirety of the MCU.
#2 – Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Millennials (and probably Gen Z) who grew up with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy as their main source of Spider-Man content all LOVE Mary Jane and Peter Parker. The two are the main couple of the trilogy, and since, MJ has grown to be Peter’s lifelong paramour. Even in the new MCU Spider-Man movies, starring Tom Holland and Zendaya, MJ continues to be the love of Peter’s life and his reason to continue.
Spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home ahead…
No Way Home gave us some of the most romantic moments between Tom Holland’s Peter and Zendaya’s MJ, complete with a romantic sunlit kiss and a terrible tragically romantic ending. The whole world forgot who Peter Parker was, including most of Peter’s friends and, sadly, MJ. The movie ends with Peter walking into the coffee shop she works at, unable to remind her of his identity. Instead, a somber feeling washes over him as he realizes how good her life is without him in it, and he walks out coffee in one hand, and his unused script in the other.
No one knows what Peter’s MCU plotline has instore for us next, and we can only hope these two make it back together somehow.
#1 – Tony Stark / Iron Man and Pepper Potts
The parents of the MCU, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts have a deep, deep history – going all the way back to Marvel’s early days in the 1960s. Back then, the couple looked like it does in the MCU – or, at the very least, there was still a lot of conflict between the two. Pepper Potts and Tony were stuck in a love triangle. With who, you ask? None other than the goofy bodyguard Happy Hogan. After a marriage between Happy and Pepper falls through, Tony and Pepper find happiness together.
In the MCU, you can argue that these two are the main “ship”, i.e. relationship, of the entire franchise. They’ve been flirting with each other since the franchise’s creation, and their love story continued all the way through Phase 3. Pepper’s frustration with Tony is totally relatable, and his motivation to grow for her is totally romantic. Watching Tony change from a womanizer to a loving father is one of the best character storylines of the MCU, given enough time to feel real.
Pepper’s reaction to Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame is saddening – and it solidifies the couple as one of the most iconic of the entire franchise.
We can’t help but place them in the #1 spot.
