The world of celebrity gossip was stunned last month when Star-Lord himself, Chris Pratt and wife Anna Faris announced at the start of August that they were "legally separating". It's never nice to see a couple who've stayed the course for so long break up and while their reasons for separating are (and should be) their own, we at CBR wish them both and their son Jack, the very best in the future. This unfortunate split got us thinking about all the wonderful and long suffering life partners of the MCU heroes. Those men and women who've endured the long hours and busy schedules necessary for their significant other to be a superhero.
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We have decided to pay tribute to the lovely people who've been there to lend our heroes all their love and support. Thus, we've compiled this list of the hottest significant others of the MCU. Just to be clear, we're not looking at them in terms of physical appearance (though there's no denying there are some beautiful people on this list). Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. We're going beyond the superficial and factoring in the other things that make them special like talent, intelligence, love and supportiveness, too!
15 MARCO PERGEGO-SALDANA
It must take a special kind of man to be Mr. Gamora. Let's face it, Zoe Saldana is one of the most talented, beautiful and beloved actresses in Hollywood with a huge fan base in the geek community owing to her fantastic work in Star Trek, Avatar and of course Guardians of the Galaxy. What man could possibly be good enough for her in the eyes of the fan community? Well, one look at this Italian hunk and we can all shrug... 'fair enough'.
But Marco is way more than just another pretty face. He's a former professional soccer player who reinvented himself when an injury cut his sports career short. Now he's a celebrated artist. Multi-talented, uber-handsome and by all accounts a thoroughly awesome guy. Marco Perego-Saldana, CBR salutes you!
14 CATHERINE ZETA-JONES
Who'd have thought that from such humble beginnings in small town Wales that this icon of glamour would take the world by storm in the late '90s before netting the would-be Hank Pym, Michael Douglas? Ms Zeta-Jones' work needs no introduction and while she and Douglas have raised two children with Douglas, she has never stopped working. Not only is she a spellbinding screen presence, she has that rare timeless beauty and allure of classic Hollywood icons such as Rita Hayworth and Lauren Baccall.
Her list of credits is diverse and exhaustive and she retains a dedicated following. Some fans even lobbied for her to assume the role of Janet Van Dyne alongside her husband in the upcoming Ant-Man & Wasp, before the role was won by equally gorgeous and talented Michelle Pfeiffer!
13 SAMANTHA THOMAS
Not to be confused with the girlfriend of Ellen Page aka X-Men's Kitty Pryde, Samantha Thomas is the partner of Daredevil's Charlie Cox and even the blind can see how perfect they are for each other. While Ms Thomas eschews the limelight, Cox appears never to have been happier, and who can blame him? The couple had their first baby together last year and what we do know of Samantha reveals her to be smart and capable as well as beautiful.
She was a producer both on Jessica Jones and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and fans will be delighted to know that she appears to share our love of the Marvel characters. Rumor has it that she requested legendary Marvel artist Joe Quesada (who is himself no stranger to horn head) to draw them a baby Daredevil to celebrate the birth of their daughter.
12 ROBBIE ARNETT
Elizabeth Olsen won the hearts of Marvel fans as Wanda Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron and if rumors are to be believed, she also won the hearts of MCU alumni Tom Hiddleston and Chris Evans before her relationship with her current beau Robbie Arnett. The couple made their debut at the Emmys this September and nobody could deny the indie singer/ songwriter looked damn good on Ms Olsen's arm.
GQ cover model looks aside, Arnett has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with as a lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for his (curiously named) band Milo Greene, which he formed with his college buddies. The couple are in their early days yet but given the cinematic nature of their music and Arnett's vociferous love of film it seems like a collaboration may be on the cards.
11 IVA COLTER
Ever wondered who was lucky enough to tie the knot with the mega-hunky star of Luke Cage, Mike Colter? You might expect a glamorous starlet, pop diva or veteran supermodel, but while Iva Colter can certainly match any of the aforementioned ladies in terms of beauty and glamour, she also has equally enviable business credentials.
Mrs Colter has been big in the world of talent acquisition since 2006, with a meteoric rise to her current position of Director of Talent Acquisition for Netflix. One might expect a Luke Cage related meet-cute, but the truth is that Iva has been her husband's rock for far longer than that. The couple met in college and she has stuck with him through the peaks and valleys of his acting career. What a lady!
10 BRAD FALCHUK
While MCU fans have known her as Pepper Potts since 2008, Gwynneth Paltrow's acting career is long and storied and resultantly the complexities of her love life have never been far from the public eye. Her marriage to Coldplay front man Chris Martin ended in 2014 and before that she was romantically linked to such Hollywood hunks as Brad Pitt, Luke Wilson and Ben Affleck.
It must be daunting for a new beau to pick up the baton from that laundry list of famous exes and we give credit to Brad Falchuk for doing so with such grace. Genre fans owe more than the support of Pepper Potts to Mr Falchuk, since he's the TV writer, director and producer responsible for bringing us the deliciously twisted American Horror Story and Scream Queens.
9 MEGAN EVERETT- SKARSGARD
Any parents among our readership know how hard it is to raise a child. Likewise, step-parents will appreciate the difficulties of raising your partner's children from a previous marriage, especially when children of your own come into the picture. None of that seems to bother Megan Everett-Skarsgard, however, who gave birth to MCU mainstay Stellan Skarsgard's eighth child in 2012.
Aside from being by all accounts a wonderful mother and stepmother to Skarsgard's grown up sons (one of whom, Bill, is currently terrifying audiences as Pennywise in It) Megan also finds time to be a children's author, screenwriter and film and TV producer. One would expect that kind of schedule to make anyone look tired and haggard, but Ms. Everett-Skarsgard is never short of stunning when she steps out on the red carpet.
8 ERIC ANDRE
Who doesn't love Rosario Dawson? Absolutely nobody, that's who! As Claire Temple, Rosario won the hearts of MCU fans all over the world with her compassionate yet no-nonsense portrayal. Even before that she clocked up some significant geek-cred with her performances in Clerks II, Sin City, The Lego Batman Movie and numerous animated DC movies.
She's not just a great actress, she's one of us! What man out there is worthy of her? Fortunately, she met her match last year with comedian, actor, writer and musician Eric Andre who is both handsome, talented, hilarious and thoroughly lovable. We defy anyone to watch just a few minutes of The Eric Andre Show or Man Seeking Woman and not concede that he's worthy of our beloved Rosario.
7 ADAM GRANDUCIEL
Unlike her onscreen persona in Jessica Jones, the gorgeous and compelling Krysten Ritter appears to be an old romantic at heart! She's been dating War on Drugs front man Adam Granduciel since 2014 and the couple seem to be going strong not just in their romance but in their artistic collaboration. Many rock stars cite their girlfriends as their muses, but Ritter goes one step beyond, coming up for the entire concept for the band's video for their single "Holding On".
Aside from looking like the dictionary definition of a rock guitarist, Granduciel has an impressive body of work spanning over a decade as both a musician and a producer. This is a couple with a whole lot of talent between them and we hope that their romantic and collaborative relationship is long and happy.
6 SUNRISE COIGNEY
It's interesting that there was a twinge of romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanova in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when Mark Ruffalo's wife in the real world could very easily step into the Black Widow suit herself. There's more to this French beauty than ethereal good looks and a lovely name, though.
She's an accomplished actress and every bit as socially and politically active as her husband. The pair have also raised three children since they married in 2000. It takes something really special to keep a Hollywood marriage going, and Mrs. Hulk always conducts herself with grace and decorum in the ever watchful eye of the paparazzi. When these guys are together on the red carpet its enough to make even the most jaded cynic believe in true love.
5 SAM TAYLOR-JOHNSON
Sam Taylor-Johnson brought Fifty Shades of Grey to the big screen, but try not to hold that against her. She's also responsible for launching the career of a promising young actor called Aaron Johnson who was ready to show the world what he was made of as a young John Lennon in her film Nowhere Boy. The two fell in love while working together on the film and before long she became Mrs. Quicksilver.
The 50 year-old director's film credentials are impressive enough but she's also made a great success of herself as a fine art photographer, even earning an OBE (Order of the British Empire) from Buckingham Palace for her services to the arts in 2011. Anyone could forgive her for resting on her laurels but she's showing no signs of slowing down. It's not hard to see why Aaron Taylor-Johnson would fall in love with someone so formidable.
4 SUSAN DOWNEY
Nobody in their right mind could deny that the role of Iron Man transformed Robert Downey Jr.from a respected character actor and one-time leading man to a global phenomenon. But his beautiful wife Susan is the epitome of the phrase, "behind every great man there's a great woman". Mrs Downey was already a well respected producer in her own right when she met her future husband on the set of the 2003 thriller Gothika.
In the intervening years, Susan has proven every bit as much of a powerhouse behind the camera as her husband is in front of it. She has not only been Co-President of Dark Castle Entertainment but Executive Vice President of Production at Silver Pictures before she and her husband founded their own production company Team Downey.
3 BENJAMIN MILLEPIED
Most comic book movie fans fell in love with Natalie Portman well before she became Jane Foster to Chris Hemsworth's Thor in 2011. A year previously she dazzled audiences with the performance of a lifetime in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. While the role showcased the extent of her talents for fans who felt she sleepwalked her way through the Star Wars prequels, she got more from her time on the set than the respect of her audience.
It was here that she met her future husband, renowned dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied who fell in love with her almost instantly, breaking off his relationship at the time to be with her (who wouldn't?). Millepied has been a doting husband and father to their two children, giving up his job as Dance Director at the Paris Opera Ballet to spend more time with his wife and children. Respect!
2 JENNIFER CONNELLY
Anyone who grew up watching Jim Henson's Labyrinth must have fallen a little bit in love with the (still) stunning Jennifer Connelly, but few could have imagined the string of stellar performances that she would one day brings us. Connelly's back-catalog is a testament to her talent and range with iconic performances in A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream and Virginia. While she played Betty Ross in Ang Lee's divisive Hulk it would not be her last exposure to the Marvel Universe.
She would go on to marry Paul Bettany that very same year. Bettany is well known to MCU fans as the voice of the AI Jarvis and eventually The Vision. Connelly would later join her husband in the MCU as the voice of Karen, Peter Parker's suit AI in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
1 ELSA PATAKY
Chris Hemsworth is the alpha-est of alpha males so it's no shock that he's married to one of the most beautiful women on the planet. While Spanish model and actress Elsa Pataky could have easily coasted through life on her looks, she has proven herself a woman of wit, resource and principles. In addition to her native Spanish, she's fluent in English, Romanian, Portuguese, French and Italian and while she is best known as Elena Neves in the The Fast And The Furious franchise, she has a filmography spanning 20 years that dwarfs her husband's.
Many celebs have fallen afoul of peeping paparazzi but when Ms Pataky was snapped by creepy paps changing tops at an Elle photo shoot, she took the matter to the Spanish Supreme Court and sued them for a ton of cash. She and Hemsworth have 3 children together who've basically won the genetics lottery.
Which couple is your favorite? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments section!