When it comes to tales of noble heroes battling against villanous foes, there always seems to be a love interest lurking somewhere in the background. Whether to fight alongside our beloved heroes or to add some emotional stakes to the plot. Whether it’s Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle or Bruce Banner and Betty Ross, there’s no shortage of iconic superhero couples in the world of comic book films.
We’ve seen these romantic relationships evolve over the years from old-school saviour-damsel dynamics to the more equally empowering partnerships we now see in more modern films. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way from Superman saving Lois Lane from a burning building. What has always stayed the same are these couples’ ability to inspire hope in the viewers that true love can survive the odds!
So with Valentine’s Day here, we’d figure that now would be a great time to count down the cutest comic book film couples out there. Grab your cape and cuddle up on the couch for this one!
1. Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff
Though never fully explored, we think the complicated and intimate relationship that the icy Natasha Romanoff shared with the troubled Bruce Banner is still one worth mentioning. There’s something so tragic and yet beautiful about the two of them getting together. One’s a stoic assassin who has trouble letting her guard down. The other’s a ticking timebomb who needs to keep in control of his emotions lest everything burns to the ground.
It would have been really cool if the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) took time to further develop their relationship. Are they good for each other? Or is it a volatile codependent relationship that could have torn the team apart? We know that Natasha more than anything wanted to be with Banner but the scientist just couldn’t see a future with them as a couple. Call us corny but we’re suckers for the whole beauty-and-the-beast trope. The logical Banner knows he can’t be with the spy but the Hulk cries out for her. If only Disney hadn’t killed her off (and maybe paid actor Scarlett Johansson a little better); perhaps then we’d finally get to see both these troubled souls at peace.
2. Wade Wilson and Vanessa
Deadpool isn’t exactly the most wholesome, or sane, guy out there. A mercenary-turned-superhero who goes around brutally massacring bad guys with katanas while cracking vulgar jokes at the side. Weirdly enough though, his relationship with his girlfriend Vanessa is actually incredibly sweet! They play arcade games together, wear matching holiday sweaters and just generally have a good time around each other. Even after she’s almost murdered by Ajax and Wade’s face looks like a microwaved grape, she still decides that he’s the love of her life. Now that’s commitment right there!
Their relationship fits perfectly with the tone of the “Deadpool” films. They’re not the insufferably self-serious, melodramatic pair that we see in so many other films. Rather, they bring this adorable, yet ironic, energy that makes their on-screen chemistry both believable and hilarious. So you can imagine our dismay at seeing Vanessa’s death in “Deadpool 2”. Poor Wade. Well, at least, he knows she’s waiting for him in Heaven when he’s dies. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see them reunited when Deadpool enters into the MCU.
3. Hellboy and Elizabeth Sherman
You probably know, or have heard, of couples that on the surface seem really argumentative but deep, down they just can’t stay away from each other. It’s almost as if they’re destined to be together. For everyone’s favourite demon pal, Hellboy and the gifted pyrokinetic, Elizabeth “Liz” Sherman, this seems to be the case. They say being in a relationship helps in bringing out the best in one another. Hellboy can be difficult, egotistical and supremely selfish at times but through Liz, he manages to learn and grow into a genuine hero. In turn, Hellboy makes Liz feel like she doesn’t have to hide who she is truly is.
Now before any of you Hellboy purists jump on our case, we’re well aware that in the comics that their relationship is strictly platonic. In Guillermo Del Toro’s films though, the two are just so sickneningly sweet together that we can’t help but ship them. In “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, Liz is told of a prophecy that her lover is Anung un Rama. A being whose purpose is to herald the end of the world and will cause her untold heartbreak. Despite knowing this, she still chooses to bring Hellboy back to life. Now some would call that decision horribly irresponsible. For us, we think that’s pretty charming.
4. Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy
We can hear the Sam Raimi fans out there sharpening their pitchforks. We get it. Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” featured one of the most legendary kisses in cinematic history! The upside-down shot of Spidey and Mary Jane kissing in the rain will always hold a special place in our hearts. That being said, they were kind of a toxic pair. We only got a chance to see them as a couple in “Spider-Man 3” and by that time, their relationship was in a really messy place. We feel a much healthier and adorable couple would be Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy.
In “The Amazing Spider-Man”, we saw Gwen being there to support him through a difficult time of grieving before falling love with him. The two of them also share a similar pain of knowing the loss of a father figure. So on an emotional and thematic level, their relationship makes perfect sense. More importantly, we absolutely love the coupley banter between two of them. Something that was missing in Raimi’s trilogy. And though “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” had a lot of issues, we can all agree that witnessing Peter fail to save Gwen was an utter knife right through our hearts. Why, Marc Webb?! She’s so likeable!
5. Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter
If any member of the Avengers ever deserved a happily-ever-after, it’s Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The man has fought Nazis, super-soldiers, a Norse god and alien armies. Even when faced down with a universe-ending threat, he kept up the fight. He could have easily thrown in the towel after watching the love of his life, Peggy Carter, die of old age right before his eyes but he never did. He fought the good fight and he ultimately got the life he deserved. He finally got that dance with Peggy he promised at the end of “Captain America: The First Avenger”.
Sure Cap has had a few romantic flings here and there but his heart was only ever for Peggy. Their love is so strong that they’re meant to be together in different universes! In an episode of Disney’s “What If…?”, we see an alternate reality in which Peggy took the super-soldier serum and Steve remained his frail self. Regardless of all these differences, they still became a couple. It’s also highly implied in the final episode of the series that Captain Carter finds her long, lost lover still alive in the modern era. Therefore, it’s no hyperbole when we say that their love is truly timeless!
So what’s your favourite super-couple out there? Are there any favourites we missed out? Be sure let us know in the comments!
