Love is in the air, even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Almost all movies have some type of love story-line being acted out on screen, and superhero flicks are no exception.
When superheroes aren’t out saving the world, some of them have found time to have a loving relationship.
Over the years there have been several iconic superhero relationships. Lois Lane and Superman and Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson may be some of the most iconic but this doesn’t even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg for how many superhero relationships there are.
Some superheroes date other superheroes, others choose to date normal civilians. No matter what the case is, there are always some type of love interest present in the comic books which often gets translated to films. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no exception.
Over the past ten years, Marvel has introduced us to several romantic situations, some of which end in heartbreak. Between the Marvel movies and TV shows, there was bound to be romances between the characters.
After all, it’d be pretty hard and unrealistic to make a series of movies with zero love connections. With the abundance of MCU relationships out there, some fans have taken it upon themselves to redesign these love birds.
Often times these fan artworks can be better than what actually shows up on screen.
Sticking with characters who have strictly appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here are the 20 MCU Couple Redesigns Better Than The Movies.
Peter And Michelle
After Sony and Disney struck a deal, Spider-Man was added into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Captain America: Civil War marking his first appearance.
Tom Holland was chosen as everyone’s favorite web-slinger and returned to the role in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War.
In Homecoming, Peter Parker’s main love interest was named Liz Toomes, who ironically ended up being the daughter of the Vulture.
Fans may have been disappointed to not see Peter hook up with Mary Jane Watson, but near the end of the movie, Zendaya’s character was nicknamed MJ.
It hasn’t been confirmed if she is actually Mary Jane Watson, but this redesign by Mayank Kumar imagines Peter and Michelle as closer friends than what they appeared to be in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Karolina And Nico
Karolina Dean and Nico Minoru are both characters appearing in the show Runaways on Hulu.
Karolina has an ability to make her skin glow a rainbow color and can also manifest energy into beams. Nico, on the other hand, gets her powers from the Staff of One, which she stole from her mother Tina Minoru.
The staff only functions when in contact with Tina’s DNA but Nico is able to wield the staff as well since she shares DNA with her mother.
In the episode “Doomsday”, Nico and Karolina share a kiss, which spawned many fan artworks.
This specific one by CeeCeeLuvins shows the couple sitting in the ocean with Karolina playfully flicking water at Nico.
Matt And Elektra
Many women have feelings for Matt Murdock in Netflix’s Daredevil. One of those women was named Elektra Natchios.
Elektra and Matt had a complicated relationship, to say the least.
They were both trained by Stick and had dated in the past before the events depicted in Daredevil. Matt was obviously drawn to Elektra mainly because she was one of the few people who knew his secret identity.
Matt and Elektra had quite the connection but not all relationships are supposed to last.
XxiiCoko depicts a casually dressed Elektra and Matt Murdock and the end result is actually adorable. Matt is flashing his charming smile and Elektra looks too bashful to be out in public with Matt.
Gamora And Star-Lord
Although they initially denied it, Star-Lord and Gamora certainly had a special chemistry. The pair started off as enemies but their romance has been blossoming throughout the movies since the first Guardians of the Galaxy was released.
Unfortunately, Gamora met an untimely end in Avengers: Infinity War thanks to Thanos, which drove Star-Lord off the deep end.
Star-Lord and Gamora didn’t share very many quiet moments together but this fan artwork by Fennethianell shows just that.
They both appear to be passed out probably after a hard day’s work with Star-Lord using Gamora as a full body pillow.
Hopefully, Gamora is resurrected in Avengers 4 so they can return to their “unspoken thing.”
Stephen And Christine
Although never officially stated in Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer seemed to share a romantic relationship of some sort.
Strange was clearly attracted to Palmer though they seemed to just remain friends for most of Doctor Strange.
Even when they were not being romantic towards each other, they shared a close bond and had a lot of trust in one another. This can be seen when Stephen is badly injured after fighting off Kaecilius and his soldiers.
Only being able to truly trust Christine, Stephen teleported to her hospital so that she could save his life.
Artist BekahTodd successfully depicts this scene which shows Palmer helping Strange walk after he was injured.
Tony And Pepper
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts have had ups and downs like any relationship, but not many guys can say that their girlfriend saved them while wearing an Iron Man suit.
Tony and Pepper are one of the most iconic couples in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their relationship goes all the way back to the first Iron Man even though they didn’t start dating until Iron Man 2.
They have always had a touching relationship that progressed to them getting engaged at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming and talking about children in Avengers: Infinity War.
It is unknown if Pepper survived the events of Infinity War but let’s hope she did so that Tony and Pepper can share more touching moments like this one illustrated by Hallpen.
T’Challa And Nakia
While T’Challa had a role in Captain America: Civil War, Nakia didn’t appear until Black Panther.
Nakia was the obvious love interest to T’Challa even though they did not always clearly express it.
It is alluded that the pair dated sometime before the events of Black Panther and we see them becoming incredibly close during the length of the movie.
At one point in the film, Nakia and T’Challa travel to Busan, South Korea to assist in the arrest of Ulysses Klaue.
In order to fit in, the pair is dressed up and both look quite dashing. Artist parksnark redesigned T’Challa and Nakia in their suit and dress respectively and made them look more like Disney cartoon characters.
Bruce And Natasha
Natasha Romanoff seemed to have a lot of love interests throughout the Marvel movies. One of the most popular ones, however, was Bruce Banner.
Many people shipped their relationship and after all, Natasha was the only person who was able to calm down the Incredible Hulk and turn him back into Bruce Banner.
The pair even shared a passionate kiss in Avengers: Age of Ultron which is more than her other love interests can say.
Captain America shared a smooch with her but it was only so that they could maintain their cover… or was it?
Regardless of who you think Black Widow should end up with, this fan art by Celine Kim is a great representation of Bruce and Natasha’s relationship.
Scott And Hope
Scott and Hope’s relationship began when Hank Pym chose Scott to wear the Ant-Man suit. Obviously angered by her father picking a criminal over his own daughter, Hope at first hated Scott.
Although they initially despised each other, Scott and Hope grew to have a loving relationship.
Hope eventually gets her own suit at the end of Ant-Man which she wears as she fights alongside Scott in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
This fan art by ittybittysketches shows Scott and Hope holding hands in their Pym technologies suits.
Scott and Hope may have a relatively new relationship compared to some of the others on this list, but that makes this redesign none the less cute.
Matt and Claire
First appearing in the Netflix superhero show Daredevil, Claire Temple was a nightshift nurse at Metro-General Hospital. At one point she was introduced to the Masked Man after he showed up outside her apartment in critical medical condition.
Temple treated Matt Murdock and eventually assisted Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in both medical treatment and their battle against the Hand.
While Matt and Claire never became intimate on the show, there was no doubt chemistry between the two characters.
Artgyrl illustrates Matt and Claire as they are about to kiss with the caption, “what it could have been.” A Matt and Claire relationship certainly could have brought a new aspect to the show, but it would be hard to make Daredevil better than it already is.
Danny And Colleen
Marvel has had an impressive first ten years expanding not only to film but also television on ABC, Netflix, and Hulu. Many relationships took place in the Netflix shows Iron Fist included.
Not many people enjoyed Iron Fist but many people did enjoy Danny and Colleen’s relationship.
Danny Rand being the Iron Fist had an obligation to defend the world against the Hand. Colleen Wing, on the other hand, was loyal to the Hand until the couple fell in love.
This fan art by Juney-chan shows Danny and Colleen standing in the rain in an embrace.
Whether you like the show or not, Juney-chan can make some impressive Iron Fist artwork.
Karen And Frank
Most comic fans know the heartbreaking tale of Frank Castle. His family was taken from him much too soon but he lived to tell the tale and to avenge his family.
Karen Page first appeared in Daredevil but she was also in The Punisher. Karen has an interesting relationship with Frank since she cares for him but doesn’t always agree with the way he handles his business.
Frank, on the other hand, feels a special connection with Karen despite still caring deeply for his perished wife.
TheAleksDemon does a spectacular job of representing Frank and Karen’s relationship via digital art.
In the image, Karen can be seen consoling a wounded Frank as a light shines on Frank’s back.
Thor And Jane
While many relationships in the MCU last along time, Thor and Jane were not as lucky. Natalie Portman apparently was unhappy playing Jane Foster especially after Patty Jenkins’ departure from Thor: The Dark World.
She now seems to be more open to playing the role again, but her ship may have already sailed.
While the couple may be broken up in the movies, there is still an abundance of fan artworks that feature Thor and Jane in love much like this one from lambchild.
Thor can be seen lifting Jane in the air while she grips onto papers which more than likely have some type of genius scientific equation on them.
Hopefully, Jane survived Infinity War.
Steve And Peggy
One of the most touching relationships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the one between Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter. Peggy saw the good in Steve before he became Captain America and even more so after his transformation because you know… muscles.
Peggy always saw Steve’s good-natured spirit but was still in shock when he sacrificed himself by crashing Red Skull’s plane to save civilians.
The couple would be reunited decades later after Rogers was awoken from his slumber, but Peggy passed on soon after.
This artwork by illustratedkate depicts a modern day Steve and Peggy cuddling up with a warm cup of hot chocolate.
If Steve wouldn’t have sacrificed himself, this could have been a reality, but then again, he wouldn’t have been around to battle Thanos.
Scarlet Witch And Vision
Scarlet Witch and Vision have one of the odder relationships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Vision is a robot, but who can argue with Paul Bettany’s British accent?
The two clearly care for each other, which can be seen in Saiyakupo’s rendering of Scarlet Witch and Vision.
Scarlet Witch can be seen flying Vision away and the artist’s description - “And she’s going to take him far far away from all the badness in the world and keep him safe and protect the precious sweet robot from all the awful. The end.” - was probably wishful thinking prior to Infinity War.
Their relationship was yet another that was ended too soon.
Steve And Sharon
Captain America: The Winter Soldier saw the passing of Peggy Carter but also the introduction of Sharon Carter.
Peggy conveniently had an attractive great-niece who happened to be around Cap’s age. Sharon was present for the second and third Captain America movies, but her life status is currently unknown because of Thanos’ success in wiping out half the population.
Adyon illustrated Captain America putting on the charm while carrying Sharon on a battlefield.
It also helps Cap’s cause that he is protecting her from bullets as a fighter jet flies by in the background.
The artist also chose to put Sharon in her comic book outfit, which was a unique touch.
Medusa And Black Bolt
Even though Inhumans was a complete flop, Black Bolt and Medusa still have a loving relationship.
The couple is married in the comic books, which of course, was translated to the TV show.
Medusa and Black Bolt are the queen and king of the Inhumans, each with special abilities.
Medusa is most known for her prehensile hair, while Black Bolt is known for hypersonic voice.
Medusa predates Black Bolt in the comics by almost ten issues but both were introduced in 1965 in the Fantastic Four comics.
For this redesign, dokolog chose to give Medusa a red dress and give Black Bolt his iconic helmet. The Inhumans show may have been a disappointment but this fan art certainly isn’t.
Jessica And Luke
Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are yet another complicated couple. Luke used to be married to Reva Connors until she was ended by Kilgrave and Jessica Jones.
Reva had information about the origins of Kilgrave so Kilgrave decided she had to go.
After meeting Reva’s husband, Jessica Jones becomes infatuated with him partly out of grief for ending his wife but more so because they were both superhuman.
This led to some intimate scenes between Luke and Jessica, but artist kai-art took a much more innocent approach by depicting Jessica Jones carrying Luke Cage like a baby.
Jessica Jones has lifted Luke Cage into a wheelchair previously on the show, but something this cheerful probably wouldn’t make it into Jessica Jones or Luke Cage.
Bruce And Betty
The second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be the worst film ever made, but it certainly could have been a lot better. This was the only movie in which Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner.
After The Incredible Hulk, Bruce was next seen in The Avengers portrayed by Mark Ruffalo.
Fans have come to accept Ruffalo in the role, but it would have made more sense for continuity purposes if Ruffalo would have played Banner from the beginning.
This unknown artist shows Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross embracing Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner in the rain.
As far as we know, Betty Ross is still alive in the MCU so this scene could potentially play out in a future film, but it seems unlikely.
Captain America And Black Widow
Now Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff didn’t really have a romantic relationship in the movies, but this redesign was too unique to not include.
Artist Alon Chou has combined one of the most iconic scenes in La La Land with two iconic MCU heroes.
In the art, Black Widow and Captain America can be seen dancing under the stars with the Los Angeles lights and mountains in the background much like Mia and Sebastian do in La La Land.
They might not be in a relationship now, but after the events of Infinity War, there are about half the fish in the sea to choose from.
Needless to say, Alon Chou knows what he is doing when it comes to combining two films together for the sake of art.
Are there any other MCU couple redesigns you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments!
