7 Great MCU Duos That Don’t Exist Anymore

Many of the best partnerships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe unfortunately don’t exist now as characters and relationships have come and gone. Marvel Studios has adapted dozens of characters from Marvel Comics into live-action since the MCU began with 2008’s Iron Man. Marvel has done a fantastic job of developing these characters into fully-fledged, well-rounded, and relatable people, and their interpersonal relationships and powerful friendships have been at the forefront of this development.

It’s a shame that some of these most interesting and beloved duos don’t exist in the MCU, but the removal of many characters, some deaths, and some developing rivalries mean these partnerships aren’t around anymore. With the MCU barreling towards a reset after Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s possible we could see some of these duos come back to the MCU. For now, however, since the likes of Tony Stark, T’Challa, Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and more are missing from the MCU, these partnerships are still sorely missed.

7) Tony Stark & Rhodey

2008’s Iron Man, the MCU’s first movie, introduced this iconic duo that persisted for the next 11 years until Tony Stark’s departure in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle – who debuted in 2010’s Iron Man 2 – had fantastic chemistry on-screen as Stark and James “Rhodey” Rhodes, the armored heroes Iron Man and War Machine, and contributed to one of the MCU’s fan-favorite and longest-running friendships. Stark sacrificed his life in Endgame to defeat Thanos with the Infinity Stones, and it’s surprising we haven’t seen Rhodey’s reaction to this loss yet.

6) Peter Parker & Ned Leeds

The ending of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home saw everyone in the world forget Peter Parker, meaning he also lost his closest friends. The loss of his friendship with Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds will surely leave a huge void in Spider-Man’s life. Ned was the first of Peter’s peers to learn of his identity as Spider-Man, and became his “guy in the chair” on various missions, and he proved pivotal in many of Spider-Man’s missions. Tom Holland will be returning in 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but Peter will have new responsibilities to deal with without his closest friend.

5) T’Challa & Okoye

The tragic and sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 not only forced the removal of one of the MCU’s most exciting and potential-filled characters, T’Challa’s Black Panther, but also meant that this fantastic partnership could no longer continue. T’Challa’s friendship with Danai Gurira’s Okoye, the General of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje, was full of respect, wit, and love. They were two of Wakanda’s most formidable and talented warriors, and while Okoye has gone on to foster a strong bond with Letitia Wright’s Shuri, her partnership with T’Challa replicated that of a sibling bond that was brilliant to watch grow.

4) Wanda Maximoff & Vision

One of the MCU’s most emotional storylines has been the development of the romance and grief shared by Wanda Maximoff and the vibranium synthezoid, Vision. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany’s evolution – taking them from Avengers to lovers, and then to parents – has been explored beautifully in the MCU, and the exploration of their loss of each other and everything they hold dear was even more heartfelt. Vision’s death in Avengers: Infinity War and Wanda Maximoff’s death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ended this duo, but there is speculation that the pair will somehow reunite.

3) Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

One of the longest-running friendships in the MCU is that shared between Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. They were childhood friends in the early 1900s, fought during World War II together, and reunited years later as super soldiers in the modern era. Their history has been tumultuous, but Rogers has always remained loyal to his closest friend. Rogers’ departure in Endgame – which saw him retire with Peggy Carter – allowed Barnes to build a new friendship with Sam Wilson, but it’s not quite the same as the bond between the original Captain America and Winter Soldier.

2) Natasha Romanoff & Clint Barton

It’s seldom we see such a strong bond between male and female heroes in superhero franchises that don’t have a foundation in romance, but the friendship between Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff and Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton was one for the ages. Black Widow and Hawkeye had a long history before joining the Avengers, as the latter chose to spare the former during a SHIELD mission, instead enlisting her to SHIELD and enabling her defection to the United States. Romanoff ultimately sacrificed her life for Barton and her friends, leaving Hawkeye somewhat untethered in recent years.

1) Thor & Loki

Here’s a missing MCU duo that we might actually be about to see reunite, as both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have been confirmed to be involved with 2026’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. As of now, however, the main iterations of Asgardian brothers Thor and Loki haven’t been seen on-screen together since 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, which opened with Thanos brutally killing Loki. The growth of Thor and Loki’s bond over the years has been remarkable, taking them from enemies to allies, and now that Loki is the multiverse’s staunch protector, his partnership with his brother will surely be even stronger.

Which lost MCU duos do you miss the most? Let us know in the comments!

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