The Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about action-packed scenes, intense moments, and epic battles. However, it also leaves space for a romance or two. Many fans want their favorite superheroes to find a loving partner, which is why they ship characters with their closest allies all the time.
So far, the MCU includes 27 films and 5 original series, all of which have introduced hundreds of characters to their universe. This means there are thousands of possible pairings between heroes and villains. Some of these pairings are more accepted than others, and there are even canonical couples from the films and series, but others are truly bizarre options that exist only in the fandom's fantasies.
Updated by Jodi Nicholls on 5 October 2022: CBR regularly updates its lists to keep them relevant for readers. This list has been updated to optimize the reading experience, credit creators, and highlight each relationship's status.
10 Everyone Loves Steve & Peggy's Love Story
Status: Together
Originally separated due to Steve's apparent death during the war, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter didn't get a chance to enjoy a long-term romantic relationship after he fell into the ice. This became a central regret in Captain America's life after he was defrosted 70 years later. However, by the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve traveled back in time to spend his life with Peggy, which he did.
Also shipped as 'Steggy,' Steve and Peggy are one of the main canonical relationships in the MCU. Their love story was struck with tragedy amidst a war, which is a definite fan favorite trope. As a result, everyone was happy when they got a second chance at love thanks to time travel.
9 Yelena & Kate Ships Became Popular After Disney+'s Hawkeye Series
Status: Non-canonical
Yelena Belova and Kate Bishop met during the events of the Disney+ Hawkeye series. After Bishop joined Clint Barton in his battle against the Tracksuit Mafia, she was caught up in a revenge plot between Clint and Yelena, the latter of whom thought Hawkeye was responsible for her sister Natasha's death. This was thanks to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's machinations.
The connection between Yelena Belova and Kate Bishop proved how the Black Widow and Hawkeye bond goes beyond the people behind the mantles. Even though they share very little airtime, fans loved Yelena and Kate's friendly-not-so-friendly bickering and their shared love for mac and cheese.
8 Wanda & Vision Got Their Own (Tragic) Show
Status: Deceased
Wanda and Vision first met during Avengers: Age of Ultron. Soon after, Wanda was put under house arrest due to the events of Captain America: Civil War, leaving Vision – the recently created synthezoid – as her only companion at the Avengers compound. After bonding over their connection to the Mind Stone, they escaped to Scotland where they tried to live a normal life. However, during Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos appeared during the battle of Wakanda and murdered Vision.
The love story between Wanda and Vision is one of the most tragic arcs in the MCU, so fans have taken it upon themselves to fix it via fanart and fanfiction. Their relationship, which sets the ground for WandaVision, broke everyone's hearts and prompted people to reflect on the loss of a loved one. After all, what is grief if not love persevering?
7 Clint & Coulson Are A Bizarre Coupling, But They're Very Popular
Status: Non-canonical
Generally speaking, ships are pairings between two characters with an obvious connection in the original source material. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, which usually make for very strange pairings. For example, the relationship between Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, and Phil Coulson, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
These two characters only interact twice in Marvel mediums. Once in the MCU movie Thor for less than a minute, and once in The Avengers prequel comic. However, this was enough for fans to start wondering about their relationship beyond the Avengers project. Since they were first shipped, Coulson and Clint have since shared many moments in Marvel Comics. For example, they have an emotional hug over Nick Fury's fate in Secret Avengers.
6 Clint & Bucky Never Interacted In The Movies, But That Doesn't Stop Fans Thinking About Their Comic Counterparts
Status: Non-canonical
The MCU's Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes only interact in an official storyboard panel for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the scene didn't make it into the movie. This doesn't give much material for fans, but their relationship in the comics is impossible to ignore.
Originally enemies, they soon become the kind of friends who only communicate through snarky remarks, as is shown in Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye & the Winter Soldier by Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman. However, they also share several caring moments fans love, including the time Clint threw Bucky a birthday party in Captain America #50.
5 Some Fans Believe Clint & Natasha Should've Been More Than Friends
Status: Still just friends (before Nat's death)
Since their first appearance, the MCU made a point of showing Clint and Natasha's connection. Time and again they worried about each other and shared stories about their experiences. This, combined with the fact they're canon in several comics, led the fans to believe they were a romantic pairing in the making.
Of course, this all changed in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when it became apparent Natasha and Bruce had a thing and Clint was married to Laura all along. In fact, the movie received a lot of backlash for this revelation. The fandom continued to ship Clintasha, sometimes even adding Black Widow into a non-monogamic polycule with Laura and Clint.
4 A Lot Of People Root For Loki & Thor
Status: Thankfully non-canonical
Also known as Thunderfrost, this controversial ship pairs Loki and Thor in a romantic relationship, all based on one of the fandom's favorite tropes: the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers arc. According to the fans, this ship's appeal comes from the fact the 'brothers' resent each other but can't help protect each other.
Given its pseudo-incestuous nature, Thunderfrost is frowned upon by many MCU shippers. However, it also has way too many fans. In fact, it has around 14,000 fanfiction works on Archive of Our Own, many of which are set in alternate universes where Loki and Thor are both humans.
3 Pepper & Tony Were Just Meant To Be
Status: Together (until Tony's death)
Originally the billionaire's assistant, Pepper Potts is the only person who's witty enough to match Tony Stark's humor. This creates a dynamic between them that first turns into physical attraction and then into a romantic relationship. By the end of the Infinity Saga, Pepper and Tony have spent several years together and even have a daughter named Morgan.
Pepperony is unarguably the main couple of the Infinity Saga. Their relationship, which is also canon in the comics, is one of the most wholesome things in the MCU. This is why fans were heartbroken when Tony died in Avengers: Endgame. Many have tried to fix canon through fanfiction that reimagines his and Pepper's life if Tony hadn't died.
2 Tony & Steve Are So Different It's Impossible Not To Ship Them
Status: Non-canonical
Given their radically different approach to the superhero lifestyle, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers can't help but disagree on almost everything. This constant antagonistic dynamic, which reaches its boiling point during Captain America: Civil War, is exactly why fans think they'd make a great couple.
There's a thin line between love and hate, so there's probably a thinner one between love and dislike. The friendship between Iron Man and Captain America is strong, but it's also filled with general tension, which Stony shippers think could become sexual and even romantic if given the right fertile ground.
1 Steve & Bucky Could Have Had An Enemies-To-Friends-To-Lovers Arc
Status: Non-canonical
Since Bucky first appeared in the comics as Captain America's sidekick, he and Steve Rogers have shared one of the strongest friendships in the Marvel Universe. Of course, the MCU isn't an exception to this rule. Even though the Winter Soldier is brainwashed into becoming one of Captain America's enemies, once he snaps out of it, he becomes Steve's closest ally.
The connection between Steve and Bucky didn't go unnoticed by the fans, who promptly turned their friendship into something romantic – mainly based on Steve's compulsion to protect his friend. Although they aren't canon and likely never will be, Stucky is the most popular ship of the MCU. The almost 60,000 fanworks about this couple in Archive of Our Own are proof of this fact.