Top 10 MCU Heroes Who Can't Stand Each Other
#10: Clint Barton vs Pietro Maximoff
When an unsavory artificial intelligence program rose to challenge the avengers, it convinced the Maximoff twins to join its cause. Its actions helped strengthen the rivalry between Hawkeye and Pietro Maximoff. The characters meet at the beginning of the movie when the cocky Quicksilver taunts Clint. As Ultron’s twisted plans develop, Pietro and Hawkeye constantly take verbal and physical shots at each other. But the two eventually put aside the differences to stop the AI. Unfortunately, their newfound understanding comes to a tragic halt when Quicksilver gives his life to save Hawkeye’s. It’s a shame they never got the opportunity to spend lots of quality time together outside of a battlefield.
#9: Nick Fury vs Talos
The shape-shifting Talos seemed like a villainous Skrull that came to Earth for a sinister plot. After he imitates Nick Fury’s boss, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and alien have an intense battle. While Fury’s instincts tell him that he must protect humanity from what he believes to be a threat, Talos sees the human as another obstacle in the quest to save his species. But the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent warms up to the alien once the skrull explains the sad backstory of his people. The pair end up metaphorically and literally breaking bread together after talking things out. Although Talos eventually took on Nick’s form on Earth, the alien still seems a little intimidated by Fury.
#8: Wanda Maximoff vs Tony Stark
A young Wanda and Pietro once had to sit in their ruined family home and stare at a Stark mortar shell that could go off at any minute. That traumatic experience understandably led Scarlet Witch to hate Iron Man. During the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Wanda uses her vast powers to target Stark and her team. After they work together in that film, Tony upsets her again when he orders Vision to keep her contained in “Captain America: Civil War”. It’s unclear whether they truly resolved their differences before Tony’s funeral. The only thing we know for certain is that these two had a very rocky relationship.
#7: Sam Wilson vs Bucky Barnes
To be completely fair to Sam, he was nearly assassinated by Bucky the first time they met. The brainwashed Winter soldier also damaged the Falcon wings and beat up the hero in “Civil War.” So, when Spider-Man webs the two team Cap members up next to each other, it’s not surprising to hear Sam turn to Bucky and say [b-roll: “I hate you”]. Despite the duo having plenty of reasons to avoid each other, they worked through their differences in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. They admittedly got on each other’s nerves plenty of times over the course of six episodes. But while they still might annoy each other, their friendship has definitely come a long way.
#6: Tony Stark vs Dr. Strange
Within the realm of the MCU, both Tony Stark & Stephen Strange are each regarded as geniuses in their respective worlds. The huge egos they both developed from their talents being recognized made it hard for them to get along. Unlike some of the other rivalries in the MCU, there was never a physical confrontation between these two heroes. They preferred to verbally spar with plenty of excellent quips and jabs. Although they actually worked together well, they still found it difficult to agree on anything. In a dramatic dose of irony, the moment where the two got on the same page was one of the most bittersweet moments in the MCU.
#5: Natasha Romanoff vs Yelena Belova
After spending a long time apart, these two estranged sisters immediately fought each other. Their brief clash set the tone for their relationship. Although they were both trained as Black Widows and were in the same undercover family as children, their adult lives greatly differed. Natasha rose above her dark past and became an Avenger as Yelena was forced to serve the evil Dreykov and assassinate people. While the formerly brainwashed Widow resented her heroic sister, it was clear that there was a lot of love underneath their strained relationship. Fortunately, the siblings finally fully let their prickly guards down during one of their last meetings.
#4: Hulk vs Thor
Honestly, Hulk isn’t a fan of very many people to begin with. But he seemed to have a particular beef with the God of Thunder. The two first clashed aboard a helicarrier in 2012’s “The Avengers”. Even after the two teamed up to stop an invasion, Hulk still had to get one last hit in. Their rivalry was reignited years later in “Thor Ragnarok” when the powerful avengers were pitted against each other in an arena. Although their match was stopped short before a true victor was determined, they still continued to disagree about a lot of issues afterwards. While their friendship has improved, we feel like the OG Hulk still might bump heads with Thor at any moment.
#3: M'baku vs T’Challa
During our first introduction to M'baku, we saw the leader of the Jabari tribe challenge T’Challa for the throne of Wakanda. Their differing beliefs in how the nation should be governed quickly turned into a near fatal battle in front of their allies. Fortunately, T’Challa urged M’baku to yield so he could return home alive. The Jabari leader later repaid the favor by helping the Black Panther survive a tremendous fall. Despite their fundamental differences about…many things, the two fought side by side to take on Killmonger and multiple alien armies. It’s inspiring to see this pair of intense rivals put their own reservations aside for a greater purpose.
#2: Gamora vs Nebula
The story of how the mad titan raised Gamora and Nebula could probably fill a book entitled “How not to raise your daughters”. These pairs of warriors were constantly forced to fight each other for their “father’s” favor. The mad titan’s insistence on punishing Nebula for Gamora’s success drove a wedge between the two that led to several intense duels. In nearly every film they appear in together, it seems like one sister is moments away from slaying the other. But they always stop before crossing that line. Now that Thanos is out of the picture, the present Nebula and past Gamora might fully bury the hatchet for good.
#1: Tony Stark vs Steve Rogers
Shortly after this heroic duo met, we could sense a palpable friction between them. They nearly came to blows in both “The Avengers” and “Age of Ultron”. But their relationship reached its lowest point during “Captain America: Civil War”. Their differing opinions on what to do about the Sokovia Accords and the Winter Soldier sparked an explosive clash of heroes. After they cooled down, it’s revealed that Steve knew a brainwashed Bucky assassinated Tony’s parents. This shocking turn led to a harrowing fight that broke Cap and Iron Man’s friendship and severely divided The Avengers. While they did eventually stand by each other again, it took almost seven years and the loss of billions of lives for them before they ended their bitter feud.