Marvel Studios Celebrates the 9 Best MCU Superhero Duos

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Marvel Studios recently highlighted some of the most memorable team-ups in its cinematic universe. The MCU is famous for showcasing a large roster of heroes, often pairing them up in various teams and smaller groups.

Marvel Entertainment recently shared a video celebrating nine of the most iconic superhero teams from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the success of the first Avengers team, Marvel Studios has spent almost twenty years creating diverse groups of heroes to battle their biggest villains.

9 Best Superhero Duos in MCU History

Tony Stark/Peter Parker

Marvel kicked off its video with a scene pairing Robert Downey Jr., as Iron Man, with Tom Holland, as Spider-Man. The two heroes first teamed up in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War and appeared together in four movies during the Infinity Saga. Their partnership continued until Tony Stark’s death in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.

As a huge movie fan, one scene that always gets me is from Avengers: Infinity War (2018). It’s after Tony discovers Peter Parker stowed away on the spaceship, thinking he’d already sent him home. They’ve just had a really touching moment where Peter explains how much he needs to help Tony fight Thanos, and the scene ends with Peter making a brilliant Aliens reference – that classic sci-fi movie from 1986 – as they quickly try to figure out how to save Doctor Strange from Ebony Maw.

Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes

Chris Evans, as Captain America, and Sebastian Stan, as the Winter Soldier, have one of the longest-running partnerships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They first appeared together in the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger and have since shared the screen in five movies as a team – with more appearances planned, including in Avengers: Doomsday.

The scene shows a memory from the 2014 movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In it, Bucky walks Steve home after his mother’s funeral. Bucky playfully tells Steve he’ll be with him “’til the end of the line, pal,” highlighting their strong and lasting friendship.

Thor/Loki

Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) have shared a brotherly bond as adopted siblings. First appearing together in the 2011 film Thor, this popular duo has teamed up in six Marvel movies so far, and they’re both scheduled to return in the 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday.

This short clip, lasting just 13 seconds, comes from the movie Thor: Ragnarok. It shows Thor, Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson), and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) entering Valkyrie’s room. Inside, they find Loki tied up, which Valkyrie presents as a gift. Loki then shouts, “Surprise!” Thor immediately throws a bottle at Loki’s head to confirm he’s real and not a trick.

T’Challa/Shuri

Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright created a beloved brother-sister dynamic as King T’Challa and Princess Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They first appeared together in the 2018 film Black Panther and continued to play their roles in the following two Avengers movies. Sadly, Boseman passed away in 2021 after a private battle with colon cancer.

This scene from Black Panther highlights the special bond between Shuri and her brother, T’Challa. Shuri shows off some of the new technology for the Black Panther suit, and the over 90-second clip ends with a blast of energy from the suit sending T’Challa flying. He jokingly shouts, “Delete that footage!” to his laughing sister.

Rocket/Groot

Before 2014, most Marvel fans weren’t familiar with Bradley Cooper’s voice work as Rocket Raccoon or Vin Diesel as Groot. Now, they’re one of the most beloved pairs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! They first teamed up in Guardians of the Galaxy and have appeared together in six movies so far, not counting their special Disney+ holiday adventure.

In a funny scene from the 2017 movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Rocket tries to teach Baby Groot how to disarm a bomb. Groot keeps misunderstanding, repeatedly almost setting off the bomb – and destroying everything – by trying to push the wrong button, much to the audience’s amusement.

Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff

Though the first Avengers team is the most well-known in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the closest bond between any two original members is arguably between Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye (Clint Barton). They appeared together in all four Avengers films, plus Captain America: Civil War in 2016, totaling five movies together before Black Widow’s death in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

A short clip from the 2012 film The Avengers shows Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Hawkeye fighting aliens. During the fight, Nat references their past in Budapest, and Clint jokingly says they both remember it quite differently. This moment became a fan favorite, and its full story was finally revealed in the 2021 film Black Widow.

Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly teamed up as Ant-Man and Wasp throughout the Infinity Saga. They first appeared together in the 2015 film Ant-Man and have since shared the screen in four Marvel movies, including all three Ant-Man films and the epic Avengers: Endgame.

The scene takes place in the 2018 movie Ant-Man and the Wasp. It shows Scott Lang having trouble with his new Ant-Man suit at his daughter’s school, with Hope van Dyne trying to assist him. Throughout the situation, Hope playfully teases Scott as they work to disguise him so he can retrieve the original Ant-Man suit, which is hidden inside a trophy awarded to Cassie, recognizing her grandmother as the “World’s Greatest Grandma.”

Tony Stark/James “Rhodey” Rhodes

Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes – originally played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man – were the first true team-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They first fought alongside each other in the 2008 film Iron Man and appeared together in a total of seven MCU movies before Tony Stark’s death in Endgame.

One of my favorite little moments in Iron Man 3 – seriously, 2013 feels like yesterday – is when Tony Stark calls up Rhodey while Rhodey’s in the middle of aggressively questioning some possible terrorists. It’s hilarious because Tony just casually asks Rhodey for his username and password! And when Rhodey tells him it’s “WARMACHINEROX,” they both crack up. Tony immediately chimes in, saying “War Machine” is so much better than “Iron Patriot,” and honestly, he’s not wrong. It’s a small detail, but it really shows their easy banter and friendship.

Doctor Strange/Wong

Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong, who both star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have a close connection both as actors and through their characters, Doctor Strange and Wong. They first appeared together in the 2016 film Doctor Strange and have since shared the screen in five other movies, including the two Avengers films, both Doctor Strange movies, and a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The new video features a nearly one-minute clip from the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It shows the first scene with Doctor Strange and Wong battling the large, one-eyed monster that is pursuing America Chavez. The clip also briefly shows Christine Palmer’s wedding, and concludes with the monster easily throwing Strange and Wong around.

BONUS: Tony/Steve/Thor

In addition to the nine pairs featured in this video, Marvel highlights a famous team: Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. These three heroes were central to all four Avengers films, consistently leading the team through numerous battles against powerful villains.

This clip shows the Avengers at their new base, which they first saw at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. They’re talking about the unknown future and how Vision’s connection to the Mind Stone fits into it. Thor believes Vision can safely hold the Stone because he’s proven himself worthy to lift Mjolnir, but Tony and Steve playfully debate what actually makes someone worthy of wielding the powerful Asgardian hammer.

BONUS: Carol/Monica/Kamala

Following the success of the Avengers’ core heroes, Marvel is now showcasing a new team: Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). These three characters first joined forces in the 2023 film The Marvels, after being individually introduced in other Marvel projects.

The movie ends with a thrilling, over-a-minute-long battle between the three heroes and Zawe Ashton’s character, Dar-Benn – the main villain of The Marvels. Working together, they use their combined powers to defeat Dar-Benn and destroy her powerful bangle, preventing her from destroying the multiverse.

The full video can be seen below:

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2026-01-02 05:08