Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 will see the long-awaited return of everyone's favorite a-holes for one last cosmic adventure. The film will deal with Star-Lord and Gamorra's relationship after her unexpected return in Avengers: Endgame, providing some much-needed conclusion to what is arguably the MCU's best and most compelling romance.
Comic book adaptations aren't necessarily known for their romantic plots, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Indeed, many of the most acclaimed superhero movies include some of modern cinema's most beloved couples. From timeless love stories to complicated affairs, these romances add an emotional layer to an otherwise action-packed storyline.
10 Spider-Man & Mary Jane Watson - Spider-Man (2002)
Mary Jane Watson has a bad reputation. Sam Raimi's trilogy turned her into a bonafide damsel in distress, always waiting to be rescued by Spidey, and while Kirsten Dunst does her utter best, she can't make the one-note character be more than she is.
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However, there's one thing that was great about Mary Jane, and it's her dynamic with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker. Their romance was at its best in the first movie, where the two share the now-iconic kiss under the rain that launched a thousand copycats. The relationship would remain interesting in Spider-Man 2 but got ruined in Spider-Man 3, mostly because of a lack of ideas. However, audiences will always have that incredible kiss under the rain.
9 Wolverine & Jean Grey - X-Men Series (2000-2017)
The FOX X-Men series produced several incredible movies, most anchored by Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. The saga went to considerable lengths to flesh out Wolverine's character, and a crucial part of his story was his unrequited love for Famke Janssen's Jean Grey.
Jackman and Janssen did a lot of heavy lifting to elevate the romance past its initial conception. By the time the truly heinous X-Men: The Last Stand came around, the pair had a sure spot in the pantheon of memorable tragic romances. These two never got the chance to be together, but the attraction was there, and it was palpable and far more credible than Jean's supposed love for poor Scott Summers.
8 Batman & Catwoman - The Batman (2022)
Batman and Catwoman have one of the most iconic relationships in comic books. DC's famous femme fatale and the Caped Crusader have played a cat and... bat game for decades, with most live-action iterations exploiting their unique and often-imitated-but-never-matched dynamic.
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Matt Reeves' The Batman produced a worthy entry into the bat and the cat canon, with Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson bringing the famous relationship to life. With a sexy and wickedly playful dynamic and Michael Giacchino's masterpiece of a score, The Batman gave a near-perfect Batman and Catwoman to a whole new generation of fans.
7 Star-Lord & Gamora - Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014-2023)
James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy series has been the MCU's biggest and most pleasant surprise. The B-list team became bonafide superstars thanks to Gunn, who turned Star-Lord and Gamora into the MCU's best and most believable romantic relationship.
Thanks in no small part to Chris Pratt and Zoë Saldaña's perfect performances, Star-Lord and Gamora have become Marvel's most interesting romance. Their many differences make them fascinating to watch, and their painful separation made things even better. The upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 will be the last chapter of their story, and hopefully, they'll find their way back to each other.
6 Professor X & Magneto - X-Men: First Class (2011)
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James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender launched a million fan-fictions with their portrayals of Professor X and Magneto in Matthew Vaughn's 60s-set prequel X-Men: First Class. The plot revolves around Charles and Erik meeting and forming the bond that would come to define them for years while assembling the first generation of X-Men.
Although the saga never dared to refer to them as more than friends, many fans firmly believe they are a romantic pairing. Whether they are or not, it's perfectly clear they love each other as brothers or as something more. In the end, what matters is that there is a deep and powerful bond between them that can never be broken, no matter their mistakes or losses.
5 Deadpool & Vanessa - Deadpool (2016)
The first Deadpool movie was a true breath of fresh air. Subversive and provocative, the film was, surprisingly, a romantic story between Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth and his one true love, Vanessa, played by the familiar but underrated Morena Baccarin.
For all its bravado and raunchy humor, Deadpool is a tender story about love and the lengths someone is willing to go for their significant other. Of course, Deadpool has brutal violence, R-rated jokes, and plenty of exciting action, but the film is mostly about devotion and commitment, featuring one of the best couples in the genre. Reynolds and Baccarin have excellent chemistry and have fun with their roles, delivering a sweet, funny, and above all, compelling love story for the ages.
4 Wanda & Vision - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In the pantheon of tragic superhero romances, few outrank Wanda and Vision. The witch and the android are two loners and outsiders who found each other when no one else seemed to understand them, developing a close friendship that turned into love.
While their courtship happens off-screen, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany do an excellent, nuanced, and compelling job portraying the couple's deep and unique bond in Avengers: Infinity War. And while their romance doesn't get to truly shine until WandaVision, Infinity War lays their relationship's foundation with a heartbreaking story of sacrifice and grief that cements them as the comic book world's ultimate pair of star-crossed lovers.
3 Batman & Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)
One of the biggest problems with superhero movies nowadays is that they're not sexy anymore. For two worlds where overly muscular men straddle around in tight spandex, DC and Marvel are mostly sexless and aromantic, with only a few exceptions. However, back in the good old days of 1992, Tim Burton dared to deliver a risky take on Batman and Catwoman's relationship with his dark fantasy Batman Returns.
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Burton struck gold with the casting of Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Keaton as the cat and the bat, with the pair crafting an explosive dynamic full of sexual tension and unspoken desires. The film exploits the trauma in their stories, presenting them as kindred spirits destined to repel each other because of their very nature. It's a fascinating and tragic tale of loss disguised as a sexy Gothic adventure and one of the most intriguing and daring entries into the superhero canon.
2 Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor - Wonder Woman (2017)
Gal Gadot and Chris Pine made magic together in Patty Jenkins' 2017 superhero film Wonder Woman, arguably the best entry into the DC Extended Universe. The pair played Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, star-crossed lovers who meet and fall in love during World War I.
Tragedy aside, Wonder Woman is among the most optimistic and uplifting superhero movies, largely thanks to Gadot's earnest performances and on-screen chemistry with Pine. The actor is a well-known rom-com lead, bringing some of his famous and popular romantic energy into the world of superheroes, resulting in a charming, heart-wrenching romance that will leave no dry eye in the house.
1 Spider-Man & Gwen Stacy - The Amazing Spider-Man (2012-2014)
No couple in the superhero world has ever had more electrifying chemistry than Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in the two The Amazing Spider-Man movies. The plot wasn't the best, and the films were shameless attempts from Sony to exploit the Spider-Man brand, but nearly every flaw was saved by Garfield and Stone's performances and on-screen chemistry.
Aside from being two incredibly talented actors, Garfield and Stone looked genuinely in love and, just as importantly, attracted to each other. Every glance they shared, every smile they gave one another was evidence of the love between both characters. The films might've been average, but Garfield and Stone single-handedly elevated them, creating the best and most unforgettable on-screen pairing in any superhero movie, a romance that will leave everyone in the audience blushing and giggling.
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