WARNING! This list contains SPOILERS for Thor: Love and Thunder.
The release of Thor: Love and Thunder brought to a close one of the longest-running couples in the MCU. Thor and Jane were separated for good after she gave her life to protect him, effectively making them one of the tragic romances seen so far in the film series.
The likes of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter suffering from the effects of war to Star-Lord and Gamora losing each other due to Thanos’ intervention are some of the other sad romances. Some couples like Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had sad endings but were together long enough to have had a happy life. It’s interesting to check out what made these couplings so great and the circumstances behind their tragic quality.
Loki Laufeyson & Sylvie
Many feel that Sylvie is the best variant of Loki for how emotional and layered she is. Loki himself received significant character development around her, finally thinking of someone else other than for his own interests. Their romance was never going to work, though, as Sylvie was too fixated on vengeance against the TVA.
Despite Loki wanting Sylvie to drop her vendetta against the TVA and He Who Remains, she couldn’t overcome her anger and sent him back to the TVA headquarters after sharing their first kiss. They still have a shot at making their relationship work, but Loki has suffered a big heartbreak for the time being.
Okoye & W'Kabi
Okoye and W’Kabi had a love for each other but their different viewpoints of the world ruined their marriage. W’Kabi had revolutionary plans that involved taking over countries other than Wakana while Okoye was loyal to the traditional ways of keeping Wakanda within its own borders.
They were planning to start a family until Killmonger’s campaign against T’Challa forced them to pick their loyalties. W’Kabi was apprehended when T’Challa’s side won and Okoye made it clear that she would pick Wakanda over him, with the implication that their marriage was over.
Natasha Romanoff & Bruce Banner
There’s little doubt that Natasha was the heart of the MCU Avengers, as she carried all the members together. She was the only one who understood Bruce’s plight at housing the Hulk personality within himself and wanted to leave the superhero lifestyle to be with him.
Bruce also saw Natasha as the person who could curb his issues and could handle the Hulk’s destructive way. Sadly for them, Ultron’s act of discrediting the Avengers through Hulk led to the latter’s departure and the time apart was too great for them to reunite years later. Bruce was clearly distraught after Natasha’s demise because he knew he’d missed his chance to make things right between them.
Xu Wenwu & Ying Li
Wenwu was a warlord for centuries before he met Ying Li, who surprisingly made him change his ways. Being around Wenwu also got Ying Li to leave her duties as the guardian of Ta Lo’s gate. They brought the best out of each other to embark on a life without conflict.
Wenwu’s bliss proved to be short-lived, as the demons of his past caught up and Ying Li was killed - he turned into an even worse warlord out of bitterness. Wenwu’s hopes to be reunited with his wife led to the Dweller-in-Darkness corrupting Wenwu even further and he died without getting to experience being with Ying Li again.
Star-Lord & Gamora
Star-Lord had a sad childhood where he lost his mother and was raised around the Ravagers. Gamora had it even worse as the daughter of the despotic Thanos who forced her to constantly battle her siblings. By being with each other, the pair finally experienced what love is supposed to be like.
However, Thanos’ killing of Gamora permanently split them apart, as her death on Vormir meant she can never return back to life. The alternate Gamora has no love for Star-Lord, leaving him distraught at the loss of the woman he loved. Star-Lord and Gamora only experienced a short time when they were happy and were torn apart from circumstances beyond their control.
Stephen Strange & Christine Palmer
It was revealed in both What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that Christine and Stephen can never be together in any universe. Despite Doctor Strange’s best efforts, something always goes wrong to prevent them from being happy.
The attempt to avert fate led to the corruption of Sinister Strange and Strange Supreme, while the prime universe Strange had to sadly accept that he and Christine weren’t meant to be. The only consolation he had was to reveal his feelings for the Earth-838 Christine, saying that he would love her in every universe.
Steve Rogers & Peggy Carter
Steve and Peggy are easily among the MCU couples with the best chemistry and would’ve been the most tragic one had Steve not traveled back in time to be with a variant of Peggy’s. She was the only one who saw him as the true hero he was before the serum and he was taken by her boldness and kindhearted personality.
They were separated by distance and time when Steve crashed into the ice and woke up nearly 70 years later. Despite Peggy’s old age and subsequent demise, Steve never got over her. He ultimately used the Time Heist to reunite with Peggy, although the original version passed away without ever getting to be with him.
Peter Parker & Michelle Jones-Watson
Peter and MJ are credited as the best relationship in the Spider-Man universe, but they had a sad ending in the MCU. Although MJ survived the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, she had no more recollection of who Peter was, effectively ending their relationship.
Of course, she’d tried her best not to let Peter go through with the spell that made the world forget about his existence, ushering in a sad final moment between the two. This was a couple that was strong through numerous struggles but was separated before they could truly be happy.
Thor Odinson & Jane Foster
Thor and Jane’s love was so strong that Mjölnir created a magical bond with her based on Thor’s request for the hammer to protect her. Jane and Thor’s responsibilities toward the world got in their way and they were able to get past these problems until her illness proved to be the fatal blow.
Jane got Thor to believe in love once more, with her final words urging him to keep his heart open. Thor had lived thousands of years but never met someone he had loved as purely as Jane. They were sadly separated for good when she passed away, with Jane now having to wait until she can reunite with Thor in Valhalla.
Scarlet Witch & Vision
There’s no doubt that Vision and Scarlet Witch have had the worst time in the MCU, as the pair experiences one sadness after another. They had a very short spell where they were together without interference, which was the only time either one of them was actually happy in their life.
Thanos’ intervention led to Vision’s death, which Scarlet Witch was forced to witness. She couldn’t even be with the Westview version of Vision since she was forced to let go of him and the family she’d created. Vision had evolved under the love he shared with Scarlet Witch, but every villain and organization’s obsession with capturing him has led to Vision’s exile while Scarlet Witch took a villainous turn in Doctor Strange 2 after losing Vision took too much of a toll on her.