For over fifteen years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dazzled audiences all across the world with its iconic superheroes, electrifying storylines, and larger-than-life villains. While every installment in the MCU is jam-packed full of action, humor, and excitement, devoted fans of the franchise also enjoy getting a break from all the chaos the courageous characters face on the regular, and thoroughly enjoy witnessing these iconic heroes find a little love and reprieve from saving the world.
Though fans couldn’t help but swoon over Steve Rogers’ decades-spanning devotion to his lady love Peggy Carter and bawled their eyes out when Tony Stark shared his poignant final moments with longtime partner Pepper Potts, not all the romances featured in the juggernaut franchise have resonated with moviegoers. In fact, some are better left entirely forgotten and will never hold a candle to the aforementioned fan-favorite pairings.
Here are 10 MCU romances we can’t even pretend to care about.
10 Natasha Romanoff & Bruce Banner
While there is nothing inherently wrong with the unexpected romance that blossomed between Natasha and Bruce, it nonetheless completely caught fans off guard and many felt as if it came from left field. Devoted audiences were a bit thrown when the duo began to share meaningful gazes and flirtatious banter with one another in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Natasha had the rare ability to calm Bruce’s alter ego Hulk down and diminish his powerful and dangerous rage.
A Wasted Potential Romance
Despite Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo’s chemistry and effortless on-screen dynamic, writers didn’t seize the opportunity to truly turn their romance into something special and explore their newfound feelings for one another.
Their “relationship” never truly pays off and is all but forgotten following the events of Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok, with Natasha briefly popping up in the latter film to once again help transform Hulk back into Bruce Banner. It was a missed opportunity to capitalize on a potentially fulfilling romance and one that the MCU tried to rectify, with co-writer Stephen McFeely revealing in 2019:
“In ‘Infinity War’ we have scenes — we wrote them, we shot them — of them sort of hashing that out. ‘You’ve been gone, I’ve moved on,’ that kind of stuff. It became very clear that if a scene was not on the ‘A plot,’ it could not survive ‘Infinity War.’ That thing has to be on rails just to get to the finish line. You couldn’t wrap up loose threads just because you wanted to.”
9 Steve Rogers & Sharon Carter
Undeniably one of the strangest romantic pairings in the MCU that fans couldn’t get on board with was Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter, with the iconic superhero sharing a fling with the former agent Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
Though the two only shared some short one-on-one moments together that showcased their emotional bond, audiences knew that no matter what happened, Cap’s one true love would always be Peggy (who just so happened to be Sharon’s aunt).
Familial Ties Make for an Awkward Dalliance
Outside of the whole Steve being in love with her aunt thing, Sharon just couldn’t hold a candle to Peggy and her epic love affair with the revered hero, and the chemistry between Chris Evans and Emily Van Camp was seriously lacking and uninspiring.
While the duo shared a less-than-spectacular kiss in CivilWar, there was nothing swoon-worthy about the exchange and many felt as though Steve had somehow betrayed his beloved Peggy, who to make matters worse, was Sharon’s blood relative. Their romantic dalliance was short-lived and fizzled out, and fans were thrilled when Cap was able to reunite with Peggy in an alternate timeline and get his happy ending.
8 Bucky Barnes & Sarah Wilson
Both fans and Bucky Barnes himself were left stunned when Steve Rogers went to an alternate timeline and reunited with Peggy Carter in 1949, creating a new life and legacy for himself in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame. Rogers memorably passed the mantle and his shield to his successor Sam Wilson, thus setting the stage for the events in the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Bucky and Wilson join forces to take down a group of dangerous anti-patriots who want humanity to go back to how it was during the Blip.
Bucky Embraces His Flirtatious Side
Bucky is struggling with not having Rogers in his life and must face his murderous past, and he finds a new purpose in life fighting against the Flag Smashers alongside Wilson. During their mission, Bucky meets Sam’s sister Sarah, who runs the family fishing business in Louisiana, and the two end up sharing a flirtatious moment with one another in the series.
Fans were caught off guard when Bucky expressed romantic interest in Sarah, as the super soldier was never invested in romance previously. While many viewers were intrigued by the possible pairing, their attraction didn’t get expanded upon (at least not yet) and left some questioning the point of it all.
7 Thor & Jane Foster
One MCU romance that started off with a sizzling bang but ultimately lost steam was between the hammer-wielding Asgardian Thor and brilliant astrophysicist Jane Foster, whose epic love affair began in 2011’s Thor and took its final bow in Love and Thunder. Their relationship began in a wholesome fashion, with Jane helping Thor acclimate to life on Earth and teaching him the dos and don’ts of human etiquette, while also helping him get in touch with his compassionate and selfless side.
Some Love Stories Simply Fade Away
Their quirky and endearing romance ultimately brought out the best in Thor and helped him become worthy of possessing the Mjölnir once again, which was crucial to the superhero’s overall journey and growth.
When it was revealed in Ragnarok that the two broke up, neither Thor nor fans seemed too devastated by the news. By the time The Dark World rolled around, the couple seemed to lose some of their magic and the tone of the underwhelming film affected their once charming dynamic.
6 Okoye & W’Kabi
Anytime a couple finds themselves on opposing sides of an epic and potentially world-shattering power struggle, it doesn’t exactly bode well for the longevity of their relationship. In the universally lauded Black Panther, T’Challa’s fierce and admirably loyal bodyguard Okoye is a respected Wakandan warrior who is married to T’Challa’s best friend and chief of Wakanda’s Border Tribe W’Kabi.
The powerful couple’s dynamic completely shifts when Killmonger challenges T’Challa for the throne, and they take opposing stances on the dangerous coup.
A Major Clash of Loyalties
Okoye had no problem putting her profound loyalty for her country and beloved leader T’Challa above not only her marriage but also her own life, and was willing to die for the cause after she courageously challenged her husband during a heated moment in battle.
Okoye made it abundantly clear that her love for Wakanda runs far deeper than her love for W’Kabi, and he ended up backing down and surrendering, not wanting to take his wife’s life or be killed by her. The couple spend most of the movie facing tension and conflict, and fans were more blown away by Okoye’s loyalty to her country than to her partner.
5 Stephen Strange & Christine Palmer
Respected surgeons Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer may dominate in the medical field but fans were never fully able to witness the power of their romance in Doctor Strange, as their relationship had run its course by the beginning of the film. While there was clearly something still between the two brilliant doctors and audiences could tell they shared a unique bond, it was never fully explored and Strange’s overwhelming arrogance and cockiness often got in the way of his genuine feelings for anyone but himself.
Lackluster Character Development
Strange ended up selflessly walking away from Christine in order to ensure the protection of the New York Sanctum in the original flick, seemingly ending any chance of rekindling their relationship.
While Doctor Strange did very little to highlight Stephen and Christine’s past romance (aside from her trying to help him overcome his intense injuries, only to be pushed away), its sequel delved more into his love and feelings for her as he even bumped into an alternate version of Christine as he traveled through the multiverse. Regardless, there never seemed to be much passion between the two and it was another wasted MCU opportunity.
4 Sersi & Ikaris
There’s no denying that Eternals is one of the MCU’s more poorly received and underwhelming ventures despite touting an exceptional ensemble cast, and audiences just couldn’t fully connect with the convoluted plot and all-over-the-place characters.
The romance that was pushed to the forefront was shared between Eternals Sersi and Ikaris, though by the time the movie begins their relationship has long since been done and over with, as she had moved on and was dating the human history professor Dane Whitman.
A Romance That is Dead and Gone
Though Sersi and Ikaris’ epic love story spanned centuries and they had remained devoted to one another through millennia, fans weren’t able to witness the power of their all-consuming romance in real-time, as it had already played out a long time ago. Ikaris was the one who walked away from Sersi and their relationship, and the former couple ultimately found themselves on opposing sides when it came to protecting humanity from the Deviants.
The chemistry between Gemma Chan and Richard Madden also felt a bit flat, and their romance may have been a sight to behold had it actually played out in real time and not simply just a memory.
3 Peter Parker & Liz
Similar to the dynamic between Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter, the sweet and innocent romance between Peter Parker and Liz in Spider-Man: Homecoming really never stood a chance since loyal fans knew that it was just a matter of time before his iconic love interest MJ came into the picture.
Teenage Peter Parker pines for Liz in his first solo outing as the famous web-slinger, and the movie follows the superhero as he attempts to navigate his newfound powers while juggling the many ups-and-downs of high school and adolescence.
Liz Doesn’t Stand a Chance Against MJ
When it is revealed that the diabolical villain Vulture just so happens to be Liz’s father Adrian Toomes, a major monkey wrench was thrown into Peter’s blossoming romance with the girl and it never really stood a chance of bouncing back.
Perhaps it is the fact that Tom Holland and Zendaya are in a relationship in real-life, but fans just didn’t seem too heartbroken over Peter and Liz’s short-lived courtship ending, as it became quite obvious that Peter’s connection with MJ was going to be further explored in further films. Their break-up set the scene for the beloved duo’s ultimate pairing, much to the delight of devoted viewers.
2 Hawkeye & Laura Barton
Another romance that completely caught moviegoers off-guard was when it was revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron that Clint Barton, A.K.A. the archery master Hawkeye had a secret wife named Laura and two children named Cooper and Lila.
Not only was Hawkeye the ultimate family man with a picturesque farmhouse and third child on the way, but the Barton clan were able to successfully live in secrecy, with none of the Avengers even being aware that Clint had a family (all except Natasha, of course).
Hawkeye’s Secret Life
Together on their remote family farm, Clint and Laura live a beautiful and simple life outside of the hustle and bustle of the city and away from prying eyes and curious minds.
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with their heartwarming romance, fans truly weren’t able to get too invested in it because their dynamic was presented so briefly and out of the blue, and shortly after Laura and the family’s introduction they became victims of the Blip. Clint’s unfathomable loss led him to embrace his dark alter ego Ronin, which gave the character a much more interesting and complex storyline he hadn’t previously been afforded.
1 Bruce Banner & Betty Ross
While most Marvel fans think of Mark Ruffalo as the rage-filled green mammoth the Hulk and his genius psychiatrist alter-ego Bruce Banner, the superhuman hero was also impressively portrayed by Edward Norton in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.
The second film in the MCU follows the gifted scientist as he is forced to go on the run from the government after he is exposed to gamma radiation and develops the ability to transform into the Hulk whenever he becomes agitated or angry, as the military hopes to use Banner for their own nefarious purposes.
An Often Forgotten Film & Romance
In the often overlooked flick, after years of separation and hiding out off the grid in Rio de Janeiro, Bruce returns to Virginia and is reunited with his former lady love Betty Ross, who ends up joining Bruce on the run and subsequently becomes a fugitive.
Their romance was very run-of-the-mill and, unfortunately, the premise and pacing of the superhero film did not allow their relationship to be expanded upon or given any genuine passionate moments. Their lackluster chemistry paired with the fact that Ruffalo took over as Banner and Betty Ross got the boot as a love interest, ultimately led to a flat and uninspiring romance.
