Now that the Infinity Saga is on its last movie, you can expect a big shift in the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming our way. We’ve gotten used to couples that have been established over the last eleven years, but these won’t remain that way.
We’ll also be getting many new characters starting from Phase 4—the X-Men and Fantastic Four, in particular, being huge arrivals—which leaves room for interpretation for future couples the series might offer. While some of these would be welcome, there are certain others we really would not enjoy watching in the MCU. Here are 5 we want, and 5 we don’t.
Want: Storm And Black Panther
As the story goes for these two in the comics, T’Challa first met Storm when they were still very young, and when T’Challa was on a walkabout as part of a rite of passage tradition in Wakanda. They fell in love, but T’Challa’s thirst for vengeance was for his father’s death was too high at the time, and they parted ways. Later on, they would reunite and be married, with the Avengers in attendance. We saw T’Challa with his own love interest in Black Panther, but having him marry Storm would truly make the X-Men part of the MCU, and this would also combine the storylines between Wakanda and Professor X’s school for mutants.
Don’t Want: Happy Hogan And Pepper Potts
Pepper was always the love interest of Happy Hogan rather Tony Stark, and it was the MCU that changed this up and made Happy purely comic relief. We’re thankful, though, as Pepper and Tony was the best couple for us to root for. With Tony’s death, and Happy becoming involved in Morgan Stark’s life, a story could be formed where these two become love interests. However, that would just feel all kinds of wrong and would seem as if Happy was betraying Tony’s memory. Even in the comics, Pepper was unfaithful to Happy, leading them to break-up, so these two just aren’t meant to be.
Want: Deadpool And Black Widow
This version of Black Widow was a woman called Yelena Belova, and she and Deadpool began having feelings for one another in a story from the Thunderbolts comics, where Norman Osborn sent her to kill Deadpool. While the mission to decapitate him was successful, Black Widow would then sew his head back on to revive him. Their status as being on opposite sides meant they couldn’t remain together, but this was an interesting coupling.
With Natasha Romanoff dead in the MCU and Deadpool heading to that universe, we can easily see a romance like this develop. Wade needs a new story in this universe, and what better way than pairing him up with a relationship that most can’t imagine? It would also bring back the Black Widow superhero in a way.
Don’t Want: Cyclops And Jean Grey
We’ve spent all of the X-Men film series seeing Cyclops and Jean Grey—both older and younger versions—being each other’s love interests, and the comics have done the same. It’s time for a change, and the MCU versions of these two shouldn’t be involved.
Cyclops especially needs to be on his own for once, with his MCU appearances geared more toward a characterization specifically for him rather than everything about Cyclops being tied to Jean. It would make for a fresh perspective on both these characters to not be known exclusively for their relationship; they’ll shine more as superheroes.
Want: Wolverine And Jean Grey
Wolverine and Jean have a convoluted history in both the X-Men film series and the comics. In the latter chronology, there have been dozens of different versions of these two, and most of them have Wolverine pining for her. One iteration, though, had these two as a couple (in an alternate reality), which was a nice change.
This should be brought forward into their new MCU versions, as it would be a good change of pace to see these two being together without Cyclops sticking out as the third wheel between them. We could see if they really are compatible, or if it’s just the tension between them that was always the most intriguing part.
Don’t Want: Peter Parker And (Real) Mary Jane
We’ve gotten “MJ” in a way in the MCU, but fans have been hoping for the real Mary Jane to show up in this universe somewhere down the line. But we’re hoping even if she does appear, she shouldn’t be together with Peter Parker.
The Sam Raimi trilogy showed that bringing Mary Jane in live-action is too high a cliff to climb, and MJ just comes across as unlikable. Their relationship also needed a lot of issues to develop before they got married in the comics, and the MCU just doesn’t have that many movies to dedicate to this romance.
Want: Mr. Fantastic And Invisible Woman
These two are the “It” couple in the Marvel comics, as they have been one of the longest-lasting relationships in chronology. With the Fantastic Four also set to appear somewhere in the future in the MCU, we want to see these two become the new Pepper and Tony.
Having these two will enable fans to have a firm couple to follow as had been the case with Pepper and Tony all the way since 2008, and with that relationship now over, we need Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Women to be the next rock firmly in place. Their relationship should be developed gradually in all the movies we see them in.
Don’t Want: Thanos And Lady Death
For those who don’t know, the comics’ “Infinity Saga” had Thanos kill half the universe squarely to impress Lady Death into falling in love with him. Even The Avengers had teased Death existing as an entity in the MCU and Thanos was implied to be pursuing her.
However, withAvengers: Endgame now having killed Thanos off, we don’t want him revived once more with a new agenda. His story is now over, and bringing in an angle where he’s now in love with the embodiment of Death would make everything far too over-the-top. They had a chance to make this couple a reality in the MCU, but the time has passed.
Want: Peter Parker And Gwen Stacy
Spider-Man purists all agree that Peter’s best romance has been with Gwen Stacy. She was his first love in the comics, too, until Green Goblin caused her death, and the impact she’s left on him has always remained. The Amazing Spider-Man movies also got this couple right, but those films were mediocre.
It’s time to bring Gwen and Peter together correctly in a quality film series, and the MCU is the perfect place for it. Ideally, Gwen should be introduced as Peter’s love interest in the sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home, and their story could unfold when they’re in college.
Don’t Want: Hulk And Bereet
You know her from Guardians of the Galaxy, but Bereet is actually a character from The Incredible Hulk comics. In this chronology, she was in a relationship with Hulk when he had the appearance of the green giant, but the intelligence of Banner—the kind of Hulk we have now as of Avengers: Endgame.
With “Professor Hulk” now a mainstay in the MCU, and him having many places he could potentially go, we could even see Bereet somehow become Hulk’s love interest in this universe. But let’s be honest, this couple wouldn’t make any sense, and the story would really need to be out there for Bereet and Hulk to get together.
