10 Of The Best Superhero Duos In The MCU

Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially began in 2008, it’s featured a lot of different team-ups amongst its large cast of characters. The audience knows the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy as groups of heroes who save the world, but amongst the large groups are smaller pairs with great dynamics and the ability to take on whole swathes of villains as a duo instead.

Some of the more entertaining duos in the MCU are made up of antagonists and heroes, but these are all superheroes. Some of them might prefer to work alone, and some of them might want to always be the team leader, but they actually work best in partnerships.

Iron Man And War Machine

It helps that Tony Stark and James Rhodes are actually the best of friends in real life. It also helps that War Machine’s own armor is based on Iron Man’s, giving the two of them a good understanding of just how each of them work in a combat situation.

Their skills as a pair are best showcased in Iron Man 2, one of the lesser-liked MCU films from Phase 1. The movie marks the first time they suit up to take on the bad guys together, and though War Machine’s armor isn’t yet up to Iron Man’s standards, they manage to both bicker and save the day, entertaining the audience while proving how well they know each other’s moves.

Captain America And Winter Soldier

Before either of these heroes end up with codenames and superior strength, they’re just two young men who want to be soldiers. They believe in a cause – and each other. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes go through similar training to become soldiers, but they also become a little more super thanks to some experiments, which means they not only have similar skill levels but similar strength levels.

Being friends since they were children means they each know how the other things, so their skill levels can be matched by expecting what the other can do in a fight. They show just how fantastically well they can fight together in Captain America: Civil War when they take on Iron Man in one of the MCU’s best hand-to-hand fights. Despite not having fought side by side in decades, it’s like they haven’t missed a step.

Scarlet Witch And Vision

Scarlet Witch and Vision, surprisingly, don’t have extensive fight sequences in the MCU that pair them up. Despite being fleeting, their team-ups do demonstrate just how much they care for one another, which is part of what makes them so interesting to watch.

Most of the other superhero pairs are showcasing their skills, but Wanda Maximoff and Vision showcase their feelings through their fighting. Vision is ready to save her from Ultron’s robots in Avengers: Age Of Ultron when they’ve only just met. Wanda uses abilities she doesn’t fully understand to protect him in Avengers: Infinity War. Their relationship fuels the way they fight.

Black Widow And Captain America

Though Black Widow tends to work from the shadows and Captain America spends more time as a symbol of freedom than he does fighting for it, they make a fascinating pair. Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees the two of them on the run during the fall of SHIELD, and it proves that their differing styles actually make them a great team.

Steve keeps Natasha from crossing too many lines, while Natasha helps Steve see that sometimes, they have to play dirty. They’re both incredibly accomplished fighters, and getting to see them give one another a leg up is a fun time for the audience.

Falcon And Winter Soldier

Despite the Winter Soldier originally being someone working against Falcon, the two develop an interesting camaraderie. As two people with loyalty to Steve Rogers, they only team up out of necessity in Captain America: Civil War. By the time the audience sees them again in Infinity War and Endgame, however, they’ve known each other for years.

They can’t quite anticipate one another’s moves as well as Bucky and Steve, but the ease with which they both bicker and support one another in their Disney+ series shows that they’re on their way. The two train together and team up with a villain (or two) in order to save the day, and the audience can’t wait to see them work together again.

The Hawkeyes

Technically, Kate Bishop doesn’t have the same superhero codename in the MCU as the comics, but she’s clearly on her way. The partnership between the powerful Kate and Clint in the Hawkeye series certainly makes it clear that she’s nearly as skilled as he is, despite her young age, after all.

While most of the best superhero pairings in the MCU see both members on equal footing, there’s something to be said about the teacher-student relationship between the archers. Kate isn’t initially willing to listen to criticism, despite her idolizing Clint. As he learns to accept that she’s actually skilled, she learns to accept that his experience can teach her. By the season finale, their partnership is great to watch in action.

Rocket And Groot

Not many of the superheroes who fight with a partner have a familial relationship. That’s not true of Rocket and Groot. They also aren’t strictly heroes since they both seem to enjoy a little stealing and causing a little chaos.

One of the great things about this pairing is that the two of them seem up for anything. Visiting the heart of a star with Thor? Sure. Helping battle Thanos on Earth? Of course. Stealing a powerful relic for a big payday? That too. They’re fun because they’re willing to use any weapon to get the job done, whether they have a good plan or not.

Thor And Hulk

Before Thor: Ragnarok, the MCU audience probably didn’t think these two would make for a great partnership. That was clearly a mistake. Hulk, who has said he felt undervalued by the Avengers, and Thor, who has always thought of himself as the strongest Avenger, have a fantastically funny antagonistic relationship.

Watching the two battle in the arena is just the first hint of how fun they can be together. When Hulk decides not to come out and help Thor anymore, but leave Bruce Banner running the show, it’s even better for the audience. While Hulk sulks, Banner is just confused, and Thor has to really work at getting Hulk on his side all over again.

Black Panther And Okoye

Some MCU fans might argue that Okoye, without a codename or a special suit, isn’t a superhero. She holds her own in the battle in Wakanda and becomes an advisor to what’s left of the Avengers in Endgame though, so it would seem that she’s, if not an actual Avenger, an honorary one at least.

As a member of the Dora Milaje, it’s her duty to protect the Wakandan royal family, but she and T’Challa have an easy friendship that makes it clear they protect each other. Their banter and fight scenes as they work together in Black Panther make it clear that they will always be able to save their country if they work together.

Black Widow And Hawkeye

There’s no denying that Black Widow and Hawkeye have a special kind of chemistry. They trust one another implicitly from their first on-screen interactions in the MCU. That comes from a long history of working together that the audience gets to hear referenced, but doesn’t get to see all of.

The two have an easy shorthand that allows them to anticipate each other’s moves in the field. Even if he’s using arrows and she’s using bullets, their different methods seem to compliment one another. Knowing that without Clint Barton deciding to take a chance on a spy they never would have become partners for SHIELD – and later, Avengers – the audience is certainly glad he made that “different call.”

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