Marvel Movie Kisses Ranked Worst To Best

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has the keen ability to make us laugh, swoon, and cry in just a matter of seconds. So it's no surprise that a franchise with dozens of films under its belt has provided fans with kisses that provoke strong opinions. You'd be hard-pressed to name a single kiss in the MCU that fans don't feel some type of way about, in fact — and strongly at that. 

With MCU movies filled to the brim with action, drama, and heroics, it's hard to believe the heroes (and villains) even have any time to spend with their lovers. Yet they manage — though most characters do cram in the romance during or between battles, with varying amounts of buildup. From Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers providing us with years of relationship goals (albeit often tragic ones) to the considerably weirder smooch between Captain America and Sharon Carter, the MCU's kisses are certainly unique. We're here to rank them from "yikes" to "yes, please!" 

Paging the chemistry between Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) and Natasha (Scarlett Johansson). Is anything there? Nope. Nat and Bruce's uncomfortable coupling pops up from the depths of nowhere during Avengers: Age of Ultron, built out of forced conversations and a lust that just isn't believable. Though some fans believed the franchise to be building up Natasha and Clint (Jeremy Renner) as a potential item, Ultron reveals his hidden family. Apparently, the writers felt they had to give Nat a love interest. And they chose ... Bruce.

While they're busy third-wheeling it at Clint's family reunion, Natasha reveals her forced sterilization to Bruce. Here, Black Widow stumbles into tired tropes by calling herself a monster for what her captors did. The kicker? Though clearly horrified, Bruce doesn't try to comfort her or, even just tell her she's not a monster because she can't have kids. That's not exactly the message a superhero franchise should be sending.

A while after that cringeworthy exchange, they kiss, right before she throws him off a cliff to enlist the help of "the other guy" (Hulk). There's nothing cuter than throwing your oblivious lover off a cliff so he can save the day! When exactly did Black Widow become a damsel, and who greenlit this arc? Outside of exchanging an uncomfortable look in Avengers: Infinity War, we never hear from the doomed pairing ever again. Thank the Asgardian gods.

When people say, "keep it in the family," they generally don't mean like this. Seriously, Steve — it's pretty awkward when the girl you really want to kiss is dead, but you shouldn't go after her grand-niece instead. We know Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) misses Peggy (Hayley Atwell) in Captain America: Civil War. But the solution to that problem is to get a grief counselor, not make out with your (recently) dead girlfriend's distant relative. Who wants to put some cash on whether or not Steve comes clean to Peggy about the incident when he goes back to the past in Avengers: Endgame? Smart money's on no.

After Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and Steve get hot and heavy in a deserted bridge underpass (so romantic!), Bucky and Sam give Cap the Respect Nod. It doesn't make anything less weird, though. In fact, it might make it creepier. To make matters worse, Steve's time travel in Endgame might make Sharon his own grand-niece. If he needed therapy then, he definitely needs it now. Sharon's possible failure to recognize her own uncle makes the situation even more bizarre (or, more likely, a plot hole from an unplanned character arc). Nevertheless, no TV for a week, Sharon.

Do Marvel fans really need a long-winded romantic flashback between Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock) and the guy (Kurt Russell) who covertly gives her a tumor years later? The jury says no, but we get it anyway. Cutesy flashback scenes that offer a window into the trends of generations past are often the highlight of MCU movies (see all of The First Avenger). But this one just isn't it. Following a romantic car ride in Ego's (Aaron Schwartz in the flashback) '70s mustang, the happy couple have a rendezvous in the forest where Ego makes a sinister speech about his weird plant taking over the world ... before he lays one on Meredith. She's too smitten to notice how shady her spaceman is being. His name is Ego, after all.

Fans may not know the extent of Ego's misdeeds at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, when the flashback takes place. However, Ego's plot twist completely sours the scene, making it difficult to watch after the initial viewing. (Not that it isn't cringe the first time). But uh, at least he and Meredith make out to the crooning vocals of Looking Glass' "Brandy" before he murders her? They'll always have that. Thanks for ruining a classic, Ego.

There's nothing really terrible to be said about Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane (Natalie Portman), other than their having little to no chemistry. Both are great characters in their own right, but nothing makes them work as a pair. When they kiss in Thor, it looks like they're trying to eat each other's faces, and it's just hard to watch. He might be the God of thunder, but he doesn't exactly make Jane (or the audience) quake during the scene. Thor promises to come back for her when he leaves for Asgard, but we'd honestly rather he didn't. He came, he saw, he kind of conquered — now it's time to move on. 

Beyond that uncomfortable kiss, their relationship never really goes anywhere. The kiss is all build-up for no payout. Beyond some basic (and surface-level) attraction, the pairing is a subplot at best, and both characters deserve better. For fans who did enjoy their pairing, there's never much closure to their relationship beyond an off-screen breakup, making the whole affair that much more disappointing and insignificant.

The MCU certainly prioritizes action over relationship building, but fans won't invest in a pairing if the entire build-up happens off-screen without so much as a conversation. As a result, it's almost jarring when Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) kiss in Infinity War. The last time we saw the couple, they were feuding in Civil War. But now, fans are supposed to buy that the pair are blissfully in love and possibly living together when they share a tender kiss in what appears to be a hotel room?

With a little more work, this kiss could have been one of the best kisses in the MCU. But without explaining how Wanda and Vision got together, it just feels out of place. The movie desperately needs to give some context to their relationship before zeroing in on it — especially for fans who aren't familiar with their history in the comics. Heck, even fans who devoured their on-page love story could use a scene or two to acclimate them!

While the MCU may be known for throwing couples together without much groundwork, Scott (Paul Rudd) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) arguably have one of the best-built relationships in the franchise. Both Ant-Man films have significant emotional build-up between Scott and Hope, with their dynamic unraveling at a reasonable pace. In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Marvel turns the tide on the usual damsel in distress angle: Wasp saves Ant-Man from drowning, instead of the other way around. Also lovely to see is Wasp taking the initiative, leading the relief-driven kiss once she knows he'll be okay (albeit a little groggy).

It certainly doesn't hurt that both characters share namespace in the movie title, making them equal partners in every sense of the word. One member of most MCU pairs usually takes a backseat to the other — and it's usually the woman. In a refreshing change of pace, Hope wears the pants in her relationship with Scott, and fans can't get enough of their healthy bond.

Given that most MCU characters are full-on adults, there's not usually a place in the franchise for high school romance — until Marvel finally got to add Spider-Man into the mix. Tom Holland brings MCU fans arguably the best live-action rendition of Spider-Man we've ever seen, and his chemistry with MJ (Zendaya) is off the charts. The pair's first kiss is as adorkably awkward as one might expect, and it only makes them more endearing.

After a whole lot of build-up in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the young couple finally stops trying to fight their feelings in Spider-Man: Far From Home. There's nothing quite like a genocidal maniac wiping out half the population to put things into perspective, right? Following Spider-Man's defeat of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), MJ and an unmasked Peter Parker share a few tentative kisses before getting their bearings and really going for it.

MJ and Spider-Man are both misfits, which makes them perfect for each other: He's a nerdy high schooler who saves the world sometimes, and she's a brilliant young woman who just can't keep from telling the brutally honest truth. It's a match made in the library — and on the battlefield.

Unlike most MCU kisses, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) don't lock lips in a blaze of glory during a massive fight sequence -– and it makes all the difference. Instead, the couple has a quiet moment to themselves in Black Panther, where they confess their feelings. Entirely secure with himself, T'Challa doesn't get weird about being saved by a woman. He thanks Nakia for rescuing him and asks her to stay. Then, of course, they share a sweet and passionate kiss away from prying eyes and the usual explosions that accompany Marvel romance. Well, there's one explosion, but it's not tangible.

Sure, high-action romance scenes are fun, but this feels much more real and authentic than most of the MCU's defining kisses. It's nice to see the franchise go for some realistic build-up instead of throwing in a few moments of flirtation between world-saving. It's rare for fans to feel like they can see themselves in an MCU relationship, but during this moment, you forget about super suits and superpowers: The characters just are. We need more of this energy, Marvel!

Tony and Pepper's coupling is tumultuous, but nothing less would have done the couple justice. Given that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) kicked off the MCU back in 2008 with a self-titled movie, he needed a fierce woman to stand by his side. Enter Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, who gives the playboy superhero a run for his money. It takes two films filled with sass, a moderate amount of disdain, and a rocky back-and-forth relationship before the couple shares their best on-screen kiss in Iron Man 2.

On a rooftop overlooking the burning city, Pepper and Tony can't stop themselves from a hardcore make-out session. It's no matter, apparently, that Pepper said she was quitting five seconds before they locked lips, or that they are directly in the middle of an argument. It's all very Marvel, and very Tony and Pepper. Not even Rhodey's (Don Cheadle) commentary, that they "look like two seals fighting over a grape," can ding it. That's actually pretty on-brand: Would it be a classic Iron Man moment if it didn't involve a withering retort?

Unlike most Snap disappearances, Clint's loved ones are lost to Thanos' brutality in a full-fledged scene. As Clint is one of the only Avengers to have a family we've followed for years (since Age of Ultron, in this case), this loss hits hard. But what's even worse? We have to watch Clint mourn them for the entirety of Endgame, listening to old voicemails and falling apart at every turn. The guy just can't catch a break, and it's pretty traumatic for everyone. After mourning alongside him for the whole film and watching Iron Man go out in a blaze of glory, Clint's reunion with his family in that cursed field is one of the Endgame's most cathartic moments.

Following a tear-filled moment with his kids, Clint gets to kiss his wife for the first time in five years. The embrace is short and sweet, but it's one of the most significant kisses in the MCU — and it makes Natasha's earlier sacrifice that much more meaningful. Nat would be so happy to know that Clint gets his happy ending, even though she couldn't. Clint tells Wanda after Tony's funeral, "You know, I wish there was a way that I could let her know ... that we won. We did it." Wanda simply tells him, "She knows." And Wanda would know. She is a witch, after all.

In a milestone moment for one of the best romances in the MCU, Peggy kisses Steve right before defeating a Nazi in Captain America: The First Avenger. And really, isn't that the American dream? Forget Netflix and Chill: Deck some Nazis and smooch.

There's just enough build-up between Peggy and Steve for their heated drive-by kiss (while in uniform, no less) to make a long-lasting impact on Cap and the entire MCU fandom. No one, including Steve, ever really gets over this whirlwind romance. Peggy and Steve's epic love ripples through the whole franchise, all the way up to Cap's final journey through time in Endgame, back into Peggy's arms. Fans can't seem to agree whether or not Steve going back in time is the right call, as it could potentially erase the life Peggy made for herself. However, some argue that Steve was always her mysterious, unnamed husband. Time travel is confusing, and Endgame doesn't do a whole lot to clear up the rules.

That said, there's no arguing this: Their fireworks-filled kiss is one of the most impactful in the entire franchise. Who else can say that they pined for a woman for over 70 years after just one smooch? What kind of sorcery are you wielding, Peggy, and where can we get some?

The best kiss in the MCU is a kiss on the forehead from a father to his daughter. After so much tragedy, watching Tony Stark be a good dad is one of the greatest joys of Endgame. He may not get to enjoy domesticity for very long, but in those years, Tony gets to be a loving husband and father in the middle of nowhere. Tony gets some of the most significant character growth in the franchise: It's incredible to watch him go from rich playboy to world-saving hero to loving family man.

Iron Man made the MCU possible in 2008, and his relationship with his daughter, Morgan (Lexi Rabe), marks the beginning of the MCU's heart-wrenching goodbye to his character. After he tells her a terrible bedtime story and says, "I love you tons," he kisses her on the forehead. But it's not his words that have stayed with the fandom ever since. Her declaration of "I love you 3,000" will reign as the four most powerful words in the MCU for a long while — possibly forever.

"Everybody wants a happy ending, but it doesn't always roll that way," Tony says. And that's okay. But in a way, Iron Man dies the most fulfilled he's ever been, and that's beautiful. It's only fitting that Tony's final words to his daughter (through a pre-recorded hologram) are "I love you 3,000."