Romantic Connections Among Marvel Celebrities: Highlighting Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Others
Discover the real-life romances among Marvel stars! From Zendaya and Tom Holland to Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds, delve into the love lives of these talented actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel movies may not be widely recognized for their romantic scenes, but there are several notable couples who simultaneously maintain their love and save the world. Examples include Pepper Potts and Tony Stark, as well as Vision and Wanda Maximoff.
Moreover, the Marvel film and TV franchise also includes a few real-life love stories, although most of these occurred prior to the solidification of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One such example is the 2003 film Daredevil, in which Ben Affleck portrayed the blind superhero, Matt Murdock.
The movie did not receive critical acclaim, but it was the setting where the director of Argo, fell in love with Jennifer Garner, who portrayed Elektra. While filming Pearl Harbor in 2000, the former couple first crossed paths, but it wasn't until 2002 during the making of Daredevil that they truly connected. In 2013, the Academy Award winner stated, "That's where I found my wife," referring to the movie. They exchanged vows in June 2005 and remained married for a decade before parting ways. Together, they have three children: Violet and Seraphina (daughters) and Samuel (son).
Keep scrolling for a look back at Marvel stars who once dated:
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Marvel Stars Who Dated Each Other: Zendaya, Tom Holland and More
Marvel movies may not have a reputation for romantic grandeur, but there are a few notable couples who defy that notion by maintaining love amidst their world-saving endeavors. Examples include Pepper Potts and Tony Stark, as well as Vision and Wanda Maximoff.
Additionally, the Marvel film and TV franchise has witnessed a few real-life love connections, although most of them predate the establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One such example is the 2003 film Daredevil, featuring Ben Affleck in the role of the visually impaired superhero Matt Murdock.
Although the movie didn't receive critical acclaim, it was the starting point for the Argo director's romantic connection with Jennifer Garner, who portrayed Elektra. While they initially met while working on Pearl Harbor in 2000, it was during the filming of Daredevil in 2002 that they truly formed a bond. In 2013, the Oscar winner revealed to Playboy that it was during the making of Daredevil that he found his wife. They got married in June 2005 and remained together for a decade before deciding to end their marriage. They have three children together: two daughters named Violet and Seraphina, and a son named Samuel.
Keep scrolling for a look back at Marvel stars who once dated:
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Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton
Hiddleston has portrayed Loki in the MCU since Thor in 2011, while Ashton played the villainous Dar-Benn in The Marvels in 2023. Outside of the superhero franchise, the two first met in 2018 while working on the West End play Betrayal. They began dating and made their first public appearance as a couple at the Tony Awards in September 2021. In early 2022, Hiddleston and Ashton became engaged and later that same year, they welcomed their first child.
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Gemma Chan and Dominic Cooper
Even though Cooper portrayed the prominent role of Howard Stark, the founder of Stark Industries and Tony Stark's father, in the Captain America movies, his partner did not enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe until 2019. Chan, who was initially linked to the talented Mamma Mia! actor in 2018, first appeared as Doctor Minerva in Captain Marvel before embodying the character Sersi in the highly anticipated film Eternals released in 2021.
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Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds
Before making her way in the Marvel world, the Black Widow star started dating the future Deadpool actor in 2007. The duo separated in December 2010 after two years of marriage.
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Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei
After their joint performance in the film Only You, the renowned actor from Iron Man had a short romantic involvement with Tomei in 1994. Subsequently, the talented actress from My Cousin Vinny made her notable appearance as Aunt May in the Spider-Man movies featuring Tom Holland.
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Tom Holland and Zendaya
In 2021, the Spider-Man costars finally confirmed their long-rumored romance after years of denying it. According to a source, Zendaya and Tom initially began their relationship as close friends and maintained that dynamic for quite some time before it evolved into a romantic one. The source revealed this information to us in July 2021.
In September 2021, Holland and Zendaya celebrated her birthday by sharing a photo together. This marked their first public photo as a couple since their relationship was revealed. The snap garnered over 19 million likes.
When asked about the overwhelming response to the photo in a December 2021 interview with PA Media, Holland remarked, "It's crazy, but we don't dwell on it too much. Our main focus is our work and promoting a movie we love and are proud of. We feel incredibly fortunate to have such supportive fans who are genuinely invested in our lives."
He mentioned that every post he makes is approved by Zendaya. He stated, "We are cautious about revealing too much about our personal lives, so anything that we share goes through a process of, not necessarily planning, but more like, 'Hey, can I post this?' And then you're like, 'Let me just review it.'"
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Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Hiddleston
The WandaVision star was briefly romantically linked to Hiddleston, who portrays Thor's brother Loki, in 2015. Besides appearing together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the pair also portrayed a married couple in the 2015 Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light.
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Chris Pratt and Emily VanCamp
Pratt, who gained fame for his portrayal of Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, had a romantic relationship with VanCamp from 2004 to 2007. This was during their time working together as fictional siblings on the TV series Everwood. As for VanCamp, she is well-known for her role as Sharon Carter, the great-niece of Peggy Carter, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany
The Labyrinth star played the role of Betty Ross in Hulk (2003), although this film does not fall under the official Marvel Cinematic Universe. Additionally, she provided the voice for Karen, the artificial intelligence in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Since January 2003, she has been happily married to Bettany, who portrays Vision. Together, the couple shares two children.
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Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper
The Oscar nominee may not be seen on screen in any Marvel films, but he lends his voice to Rocket Racoon, one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. In 2012, he dated Saldana, who portrays Gamora, after meeting on the set of the movie The Words.
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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
The Last Duel actor and the Alias alum were married from 2005 to 2018. Affleck later made a comeback in the comic book world, specifically in the DC universe, by portraying Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016.
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Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow
The Deep Water actor dated the Goop founder from 1997 to 2000 after meeting on the set of Shakespeare in Love. In the MCU, Paltrow plays Pepper Potts, wife of Tony Stark.
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Chris Evans and Jessica Biel
Evans gained recognition for his role as Captain America, but he first appeared in a Marvel film in 2005's Fantastic Four, portraying the character of the Human Torch. From 2001 to 2006, he had an on-again, off-again relationship with Biel, who starred in 2004's Blade: Trinity.
