10 Marvel Couples That Never Made It to the MCU

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There are some wonderful relationships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans have gotten Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and even Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany). While these are amazing, a plethora of Marvel Comics relationships never made it to the MCU, and some never will.

Some are major missed opportunities, while others definitely are better just staying in the comics. Whatever the general opinion is, it would certainly be interesting one way or another if these made it to the cinematic universe. Some of these heroes are no longer around, but some are still key players in the franchise and might be open to these new potential relationships. This list will discuss the best relationships from Marvel Comics that never made it to the MCU. There won’t be any ranking here; instead, the list will only focus on addressing these couples’ history in the comics.

10

Scarlet Witch & Hawkeye

This one feels… weird.

Ever since she made her appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) has had a very respectable and equal (and some may argue borderline father-daughter) relationship in the MCU with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). Never once has Marvel Studios alluded to any sort of relationship between the two.

Their relationship in the Marvel Comics lore was always odd. After murdering him twice (let’s remember the Scarlet Witch is so overpowered) in both the “Avengers Disassembled” and “House of M” storylines, they had a string of hook-ups, for some reason. Had this been adapted to the MCU, things would have been quite weird. This comic book relationship was so short and bizarre that no one really looks back at it fondly.Funny enough, this relationship would get retconned by eventually claiming that Hawkeye was hooking up with a Doombot.

9

Black Widow & Hawkeye

Everyone thought this one was coming, anyway.

Until the MCU revealed that Clint had a family in Avengers: Age of Ultron, many audience members thought that the archer and his good friend, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), were going to eventually get together. Some thought they’d be a couple because of their inherent chemistry on screen, while comic fans thought so because of their relationship on the page. Indeed, Black Widow and Hawkeye shared some rewatchable scenes.

With how tightly-knit their stories are, especially with how Hawkeye came to recruit Black Widow to S.H.I.E.L.D., it makes sense that they would eventually find each other romantically. While many prefer that they’re just friends in the MCU, their time together as a couple in the books is pretty interesting. It was an on-and-off relationship until Natasha realized Clint would always be too preoccupied with the Avengers to have a stable relationship.

8

Iron Man & Hellcat

She isn’t Stark’s typical type of lady.

In a more recent run of Iron Man’s comic series, writer Christopher Cantwell decided to pair up the Armored Avenger with a smaller hero known as Hellcat. Some may not remember, but she’s actually made an appearance in the MCU already! She was played by Rachael Taylor in Jessica Jones and was an active player as Hellcat as the series progressed.

What makes Tony Stark and Patsy Walker such a unique and genuinely interesting pair in the books is that the latter is a street-level hero. The billionaire playboy is typically paired with other Avengers, CEOs, and big-wig types. However, Hellcat provided an avenue for Christopher Cantwell to ground Stark in a whole new way. It was a fascinating relationship and, had the MCU not taken a more dedicated direction with the relationship he had in the films, Hellcat could have provided some awesome stories.

7

Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy

But no one can beat Andrew and Emma!

Aside from Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy is the most popular Spider-Man romantic partner in the media. She will always be known as Peter Parker’s first love, and her death will forever haunt him as one of his biggest failures. Tom Holland‘s Peter had two love interests in his first MCU trilogy, but neither was Gwen Stacy. Some are predicting that they will bring the blonde gal into the MCU through Spider-Man 4, but many argue that she has already done better elsewhere.

As pretty much everyone knows, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have become famous for their incredible performances and chemistry during their two-movie stint as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. They were so great that bringing Gwen into the fourth Spider-Man MCU movie is no easy task.It’s been done so well already in The Amazing Spider-Man franchise that there isn’t much of a point in doing it again.

6

Thor & She-Hulk

This one still has potential!

At first glance, this pairing might seem odd, but it actually works out quite well. After all, two of the strongest Avengers getting together seems like a match made in heaven. Thor and She-Hulk’s relationship had a rocky start, playing out like a hilarious and heartwarming rom-com as they went on their first date to the Savage Land.

The best part about this pairing is that there is still the potential for it to make its way to the MCU. She-Hulk and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are currently active and mostly single (her potential relationship with Daredevil is up in the air…), so the chances for this relationship coming to fruition are actually quite high. And who wouldn’t love to see Tatiana Maslany and Chris Hemsworth riffing off each other?

5

Captain Marvel & War Machine

One of the strongest Avengers and a man in a can.

This surprising relationship is still possible in the MCU. While it may also seem like another pairing that doesn’t make a ton of sense on the surface, it’s actually better than anyone thinks. Both Carol Danvers and Rhodey Rhodes come from military backgrounds (Carol in the Air Force and Rhodey in the Marine Corps) and actually have a lot to bond over. Their relationship brought some compelling drama, too, with them both wanting different things—Carol wanted to keep it secret, while Rhodey wanted to be public.

In the MCU, Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) supposedly spent a good amount of time at least communicating during the five years after the blip. Carol and Rhodey will surely play important roles in the story and might even spend more time together as two of the next potential Avengers in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel Studios has every chance to get these two together.

4

Captain America & Wasp

Step aside, Hank.

In the first Marvel “Ultimate” universe, after Captain America was thawed out of the ice, one of his biggest supporters in acclimating to the modern world was actually Janet Van Dyne, AKA the Wasp. After that, when Hank Pym was too violent with his wife, the Star-Spangled Man stood up for Wasp and beat up her former husband. Eventually, Steve and Janet got together, but their age gap made things difficult.

This relationship would certainly have been weird in the MCU, given the fact that Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) was stuck in the Quantum Realm for years and came back as a much older person. It simply would not have worked out in the films, and that’s definitely for the best, given the fact that the folks at Marvel Studios definitely wanted to focus on Cap’s relationship with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), set up in Captain America: The First Avenger.

3

Daredevil & Black Widow

These two were a power couple!

If there’s anyone in the Marvel universe who really gets around, it’s Daredevil. While he may fool around with many, he has had a good handful of serious relationships, and one of the lesser-known ones happens to be with Black Widow. The two got so serious that they ended up even moving all the way to San Francisco together to find a better life together.

This romance can’t happen in the MCU because of her sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. While there’s a chance that the franchise will adapt this with the newer Black Widow, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the chances of this particular romance coming to life are zero. It’s unfortunate because Daredevil and Black Widow had a great relationship in the comics that fans actually really enjoyed.

2

The Winter Soldier & Black Widow

They’re more similar than you’d think.

This is another relationship for Black Widow that could still definitely be brought to life through Yelena, especially with both her and Bucky Barnes taking the forefront with the upcoming 2025 release, Thunderbolts*. Many really hope that it happens because the best thing about this relationship in the comics is that the two characters are so similar, which makes them a fascinating pair.

The way their relationship was brought to life in the source material is much different than how it could potentially play out in the MCU. Black Widow and Winter Soldier briefly dated in the past, during his time as a temporary instructor in the Red Room. They would come together again decades later in the present day and resume their relationship, arguably becoming the most meaningful relationship in each other’s lives.

1

Spider-Man & Black Cat

People have been asking for this one for a while!

Most Spider-Man relationships start in the life of Peter Parker. This popular relationship, though, began in the life of Spider-Man. Black Cat is one of the few love interests for the Web-Slinger that is centered more on the superhero side of his life rather than his personal one. Sony Pictures Entertainment has been trying to get Black Cat in a Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 and has yet to make it happen.

This popular relationship wouldn’t have been possible in the MCU before Peter lost everything following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home unless Jon Watts wanted to add a love triangle to the mix. But now that he’s given up civilian life and is focusing his time on Spider-Man activities, it’s actually the perfect time to bring Black Cat into the mix. Many actresses would be perfect to play her in the MCU, making the possibility all the more exciting.

NEXT: The 10 Biggest Differences Between Hulk and Red Hulk

“}]] Marvel Comics has experimented with many couples that never made it to the MCU, from Captain Marvel and War Machine to Daredevil and Black Widow.  Read More