Over the last few years, we’ve had the privilege of seeing some awesome friendships and relationships develop on-screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are the greatest example of this — their journey from The First Avenger to Civil War has been unmatched by any other MCU friendship. Outside of Cap and Bucky, I have a few other favorite MCU friendship pairs that I’d like to share.
Steve Rodgers & Natasha Romanoff
Cap and Widow have shown us that whether they’re battling an alien invasion in New York, whether they’re fugitives of SHIELD during the Hydra Uprising, or even when they’re on opposite ideological sides of the Avengers’ Civil War, their friendship and trust of each other transcends their circumstances. Their bond was solidified during the Hydra Uprising and sealed during the Civil War when – even though they thought differently – they were able to see beyond that and still remain fiercely loyal to each other. Their strong bond was shown when Natasha went to Peggy Carter’s funeral for moral support for Steve because she didn’t want him to grieve alone. They’ve saved each other multiple times and their in-battle team ups are some of my favorite to see on screen – as is their witty and playful back-and-forth banter.
Jessica Jones & Trish Walker
What I love about this pair of women is that they’re both supportive of each other and at the same time they’re not afraid to call each other out when the other is wrong. Trish has been with Jessica through some of her hardest times and the same goes for Jessica being there for Trish when she was forced to be a child star growing up. Together, they worked to bring down the evil Kilgrave. I look forward to seeing their friendship continue to grow in Marvel’s The Defenders and in season two of Marvel’s Jessica Jones.
Tony Stark & James Rhodes
As one of the oldest pairs of friends in the MCU, Tony and Rhodey have a long and storied history that predates even Iron Man. The pair has definitely had their ups and downs with disagreement and working with wildly different career paths for each of the heroes, but ultimately their loyalty to each other is what makes them one of the top pairs on my list. When Rhodey was severely injured during the Avengers Civil War, it was Tony who stopped everything to make sure he was okay and helps him recover.
Wanda Maximoff & Clint Barton
One of the founding Avengers and one of the newest Avengers have made my list due to their brother/sister relationship that they’ve developed since the Battle of Sokovia. Clint was the first person to acknowledge Wanda as an official Avenger during the Battle. Perhaps their strong bond is due to the fact that Clint feels indebted to Wanda after her brother Pietro sacrificed himself to save the lives of Clint and a civilian during the Battle of Sokovia. No matter the reason for their friendship, we’re glad it exists, and we’re thankful for fun moments like in Captain America: Civil War, when Clint goes to the Avengers HQ to get Wanda to be a part of Team Cap.
Rocket Raccoon and Groot
How would it be possible to make a list of my favorite friendships in the MCU without mentioning Rocket Raccoon and Groot? When we first meet them in Guardians of the Galaxy, they’re an odd pair of bounty hunters looking for their next big source of income when they spot Peter Quill on Xandar. As they try to capture their bounty, they’re sucked into an adventure that would change the course of their lives from bounty hunters to being a part of the dysfunctional family known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. They have an endearing friendship and bond – shown through Rocket’s understanding of Groot’s speech and during the emotional ending to the film when Groot sacrifices himself for the rest of the Guardians. I look forward to seeing how their friendship dynamic has changed (or stayed the same) when Rocket and (Toddler) Groot return in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II.
Honorable Mentions
- Agent Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye & Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
- Matt Murdock/Daredevil & Foggy Nelson
- Karen Page & Frank Castle/The Punisher
- Tony Stark/Iron Man & Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Agent Phil Coulson & Agent Melinda May
- Agent Daisy Johnson & Agent Jemma Simmons
- Steve Rogers/Captain America & Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
These listed are just a few of my personal favorite friendships in the MCU and this list is by no means meant to be comprehensive – what are some of your favorites and why?