Kicking off in 2008 with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has presented fans with action, humor, drama, and intense rivalries. That said, there's something else that viewers have been treated to for over a decade now: great friendships.

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Thanks to solid writing and arguably even better casting, the MCU features many iconic friendships across its multiple connected franchises, both on the big screen and small. Sometimes these pairings have been tested thanks to personal beliefs or external circumstances, but no matter what, true friends stick together till the end of the line.

10 Korg Seemed To Take A Liking To Thor InstantlyKorg and Thor after a battle in Love & Thunder

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, the God of thunder found himself stranded on the alien world Sakaar and forced into gladiatorial combat. Luckily for Thor, however, not every fighter in the arena wanted to kill him. In fact, the friendly and quirky Kronan named Korg instantly acted as a guide to help the hero figure out his situation.

Korg would assist Thor as he battled his evil sister Hela on Asgard, and would live with him and play Fortnite together during a dark period in the hero's life. Korg clearly isn't bored with his buddy yet and will return for more fun in Thor: Love and Thunder.

9 Peter And Ned Get Into All Kinds Of Mayhem

Peter and Ned at the school cafeteria

On an ideal day, Peter Parker and Ned Leeds would choose to build a LEGO Death Star or just do anything teenage friends usually do. This friendship is a little more complex, though, and all the stronger for it.

After discovering that his best friend is actually Spider-Man, Ned has done his best to be Peter's "guy in the chair," but he's done far more than that. In 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ned was a crucial part of the fight against villains across the multiverse and even displayed some natural affinity for magic.

8 Kate's Idol Clint Proved That It's Okay To Meet Your Heroes

Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld in Marvel's Hawkeye

Disney+ has taken the fun of the big-screen MCU and brought it directly into the homes of fans worldwide. Along with action and spectacle, the streamer has had to bring fun and friendship to screens. This brings us to 2021's Hawkeye series.

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Kate Bishop idolized the Avenger's resident archer, Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye), after seeing him in action during the battle for New York. She would become a skilled archer in her own right, and helped her hero take on the Kingpin of Crime. The team-up introduced the MCU's newest and possibly most adorable friendship.

7 Sam And Bucky Turned A Rocky Partnership Into Something Greater

bucky and sam falcon winter soldier finale end scene

2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier not only introduced Sam Wilson, AKA the Falcon but also brought back Bucky Barnes after his apparent death. Now operating as the assassin the Winter Soldier, their early encounters were anything but friendly.

However, things change, and soon Bucky and Sam are forced into becoming reluctant allies. Then, 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pushed the frenemies into bro-status as they teamed up to take on the Flag Smashers. It was probably Bucky's rare smile that sealed the deal.

6 Tony And Happy Are The MCU's Earliest Buddies

Tony and Happy Stark Industries

At first glance, it may seem like Tony Stark and Happy Hogan are mere colleagues rather than good friends, but that isn't the case. The two worked together long before Tony was captured and ultimately became the invincible Iron Man, and Happy had his back every step of the way and beyond.

In the years following Tony's very public debut as the armored avenger, Happy would take on a more prominent role within Stark Industries. Along with Pepper Potts, no one else has been such an integral part of Tony's journey from a selfish billionaire to the ultimate hero he would become.

5 Tony And Rhodey Are The Armored Duo

Tony Stark and James Rhodes in Iron Man and War Machine suits

Tony, for all of his faults, is a pretty likable guy. So it's only natural that his sort of charisma would lead to a few solid friendships, and his team-ups with James 'Rhodey' Rhodes are legendary. Before the days of donning awesome hi-tech suits, the two share a lengthy history.

After both men took to their roles as Iron Man and War Machine, things really got interesting. It wasn't smooth sailing by any means, but the friends stuck together when it counted and would fight side-by-side against numerous threats, including the biggest bad guy of them all, Thanos.

4 Natasha And Yelena Are Basically Sisters

Black Widow: Scarlet Johansson's Natasha with Florence Pugh's Yelena

A recent addition to the MCU's best friendship category could be said to resemble a family more than anything else. Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova were adoptive sisters, part of a sleeper unit of Russian spies. Still, the thing that really makes their relationship special is a genuine friendship that got them through some of their most challenging times.

After several years apart, Natasha and Yelena would reunite to put to rest the ghosts of their past. Along with some heartfelt moments, viewers were treated to some funny back-and-forth banter between the two. A particular highlight came later in 2021's Black Widow as Yelena made fun of her older sister's superhero poses.

3 Rocket And Groot Have A Connection That Few Can Understand

rocket raccoon groot

Out of every MCU friendship, the one between Rocket and Groot has to be the cutest. The intergalactic rascals got into numerous situations throughout their criminal careers, but none compared to when they helped form the Guardians of the Galaxy to defeat Ronan the Accuser.

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Of course, tragedy would rear its ugly head, and Groot would sacrifice his life to protect his friends. However, that sacrifice would lead to something better in time as Baby Groot arrived on the scene and melted the hearts of fans across the globe. With his arrival, Rocket's connection to his friend has only gotten stronger.

2 Steve And Bucky Keep On Fighting

Steve and Bucky standing next to each other in the dark in Captain America: The First Avenger.

From the horrors of World War 2, through the massive alien conflict in Wakanda, to the last stand against Thanos, Steve and Bucky have never let the other down. James 'Bucky' Barnes always stood up for his weaker yet noble friend, Steve Rogers, but the tables were flipped after Steve took the super-soldier serum and became Captain America.

Things would get complicated during Bucky's tenure as the brainwashed assassin, the Winter Soldier, but true friendship won the day and brought them back together. Bucky would never have regained his humanity if not for Steve, and if that isn't friendship, who can say what is?

1 Steve And Tony Proved Each Other Wrong And Earned The Other's Respect

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers Avengers 2012

To say that Steve Rogers and Tony Stark got off on the wrong foot would be quite an understatement. The two heroes had vastly different approaches to fighting the good fight, and an early confrontation had Steve question what Tony could bring without his suit of armor. Yet, at the same time, he retorted that everything unique about Steve came out of a bottle.

In the end, Steve proved he always had the right stuff by picking up Mjolnir, while Tony proved he was willing to make the sacrifice play by giving his life to snap Thanos and his minions away with the Infinity Stones. They were rivals, allies, soldiers, and friends and cemented themselves as quite possibly the most important MCU friendship.

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