The MCU’s 5 Best Romantic Moments, Ranked

The Marvel Cinematic Universe achieved its enormous popularity primarily thanks to its action-packed superhero fare, but romance has always played a pivotal role in the franchise’s stories. Some of the best MCU couples include Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and so many more from across the years. As a result, love stories have produced some of the MCU’s most famous scenes, and there are a number of touching moments between romantic partners that have captured the hearts of audiences.

These 5 moments between MCU couples stand as the best displays of romantic love in the franchise to date.

5) Phastos Kisses His Husband Goodbye in Eternals

Before reconvening in 2021’s Eternals, the titular team of extraterrestrial heroes had led normal lives on Earth for centuries. Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) married his husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman), and the two welcomed a son at some point. In Eternals, the group unexpectedly shows up at Phastos and his family’s home, asking them to come with them to stop the Emergence. Phastos eventually agrees, and he shares a warm kiss with Ben before taking off. This moment comes across as a sweet moment between two lovers, and at the time, it was also the MCU’s first gay kiss. For Phastos, Ben and their son represent his dedication to loving and protecting humans — a defiant act against the Eternals’ creator, Arishem. Phastos and Ben’s kiss is a powerful reminder that love topples everything else, and it came as a sign of progress in a franchise that has long excluded LGBTQ+ couples on screen.

4) Peter & MJ’s Final Kiss in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Peter and MJ’s kiss at the end of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home materialized under devastating circumstances, and that’s part of what makes it iconic. Peter has only a moment to say goodbye to MJ, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his alternate selves before Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts a spell making the entire world forget who he is. Seconds before the deed is done, Peter and MJ share a long, passionate kiss with the Sun shining behind them. Given that this could likely be the pair’s final MCU embrace, the moment carries a lot more weight than the typical kiss. Moreover, Holland and Zendaya exhibit amazing chemistry in their roles, even though Peter and MJ’s romance doesn’t take up much screen time. Still, this scene is their best and most romantic.

[RELATED: Ranking Every Marvel Studios Series on Disney+ (Including Agatha All Along)]

3) T’Challa & Nakia Fall Back in Love in Black Panther

At the beginning of 2018’s Black Panther, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) are ex-lovers, but they gradually fall back in love throughout the movie, culminating with a great romantic scene. Peace has returned to Wakanda after T’Challa is revived and Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is defeated. In a scene near the movie’s end, T’Challa thanks Nakia for her role in saving him and his family, and the two then kiss several times to express their renewed love for each other.

T’Challa and Nakia were one of the MCU’s best romantic couples, as Boseman and Nyong’o’s top-notch acting performances did wonders for the characters’ onscreen chemistry. Furthermore, Black Panther took its time developing their relationship instead of rushing into it. T’Challa and Nakia work together in dealing with Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and Killmonger, which strengthens their bond before they accept each other as romantic partners again.

2) Vision Comforts Wanda & Delivers an Iconic Line in WandaVision

WandaVision‘s excellent examination of grief can be defined by one scene. In Episode 8, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) revisits her traumatic past, which involves losing her parents, brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and her love interest Vision (Paul Bettany). At one point during the flashbacks, Wanda and Vision sit together and discuss the loss of Wanda’s brother, Pietro. The conversation leads to Vision’s now-iconic MCU line, “What is grief if not love persevering?”

The quote is not inherently romantic, but it resonates with Wanda and Vision’s love story given that she would have to grieve him in the near future. Easily among the MCU’s most heartwarming couples, Wanda and Vision display their unbreakable bond in this unforgettable WandaVision scene. Furthermore, Vision’s words of wisdom are a perfect precursor to the WandaVision finale, which sees Wanda finally come to terms with losing her partner.

1) Agatha & Rio’s Heartfelt Moment Together in Agatha All Along

The reconnection of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and her ex-lover Rio Vidal/Death (Aubrey Plaza) serves as arguably the most compelling story thread in 2024’s Agatha All Along. Agatha and Rio share numerous electrifying moments, such as their fight sequence at the end of Episode 1 and their kiss of death in the finale, but their best scene happens at the end of Episode 4. Rio tells the rest of the coven, “She is my scar,” referring to the pain she inflicted on Agatha when she took her deceased son to the afterlife centuries earlier. Agatha wanders off into the woods, and Rio follows; the old flames then embrace each other for a long moment as Agatha leans in for a kiss, but Rio stops her.

Such a well-coordinated scene between two fascinating former lovers deserves to be crowned the MCU’s best romantic moment. The actors’ extraordinary chemistry perfectly elevates the tension and the resurfacing feelings between Agatha and Rio, and the scene is rendered even more impressive by the fact that it contains almost no dialogue. Agatha’s vulnerability in front of Rio feels like a groundbreaking moment at this point in the series, as she previously hurled nothing but animosity toward the Green Witch. Rio’s admission of regret for hurting her ex-lover during the preceding sequence offers the perfect spark for the raw emotions expressed by both parties in Agatha All Along Episode 4’s closing moments, and the MCU has never delivered a better romance scene.

The MCU is back in theaters with Captain America: Brave New World, which is now playing. Daredevil: Born Again releases new episodes weekly on Tuesdays on Disney+. Thunderbolts* will open in theaters on May 2nd.