Given that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest and most successful franchises ever, there are millions of fans who engage in their love of these movies and characters in many different ways. For casual and dedicated fans alike, shipping characters is common. While there are multiple canon relationships in the MCU, there are also many ships that fans love and enjoy that have nothing to do with what happened in the movies officially. Tony Stark is one of the main characters in the franchise, so he’s been shipped with many characters over the years.
While his relationship with Pepper Potts is developed throughout the movies, there are other characters that he would be great with. Here are ten of them.
Maria Hill
There are many popular pairings that Tony Stark has been put in by fans, and Maria and Tony definitely aren’t one of the most popular. However, the popularity of a ship doesn’t always reflect whether the two characters would be good together or not. Tony and Maria Hill have known each other for many years, and while they have very different personalities, they could complement each other in these ways.
While they aren’t the most popular heterosexual Tony pairing, they are one that some fans enjoy.
T’Challa
Tony and T’Challa is another rare pair that has quite a bit of merit. While these two don’t have a ton of scenes together in the movies, there are some fans who ship these two together.
They both take their leadership mantles seriously, and they have different personalities where they could challenge one another. T’Challa is better at admitting his mistakes which is a trait that Tony could learn from.
Hope Van Dyne
MCU romantic relationships don’t always reflect the canon of the comics. While there are sometimes similarities, there are always many differences.
In the comics, Tony Stark and Hope Van Dyne, Wasp, have been in a romantic relationship while in the MCU Hope has only dated Scott Lang. While the comic pairing makes more sense than these two in the MCU, this doesn’t mean that this pairing is nonexistent.
Loki
Tony Stark and Loki are known in fandom as FrostIron. This pairing might seem to come out of nowhere a little bit as these two are mostly antagonistic toward one another in the movies, but this does make for an interesting dynamic to explore. Given the fact that both of these characters can be extremely snarky and arrogant, some fans think they would make for a passionate and humorous romantic couple.
The fact that these two are practically enemies doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be romantic chemistry between them.
Stephen Strange
One of the more recent MCU fandom pairings with Tony Stark is between him and Stephen Strange. After Avengers: Infinity War came out, many people enjoyed the bantering relationship between these two. Since they are both intelligent characters who can be a bit arrogant and rude, seeing them interact and get on each other’s nerves was enjoyable.
They would definitely make for an interesting pair as they have many things in common but would also challenge each other. This relationship dynamic is definitely one that would appeal to someone like Tony.
Bucky Barnes
Many fandom pairings center around relationships of the same sex or other queer relationships. Since the MCU is still way behind the times in LGBT+ representation, shipping provides a place for people to see themselves represented. While Tony and Bucky aren’t the most popular same-sex pairing for Tony, they are somewhat represented.
Given the dynamic between Steve, Tony, and Bucky in Captain America: Civil War, some fans have looked at these relationships through a romantic lens. These two would work well together given that they both actually have similar traumas they could help one another work through.
Natasha Romanoff
While many of the most popular Tony Stark pairings in fandom are with other men, this isn’t always the case. While the Pepper/Tony ship is an extremely popular heterosexual pairing, other people saw some potential in Natasha and Tony. Natasha is someone who doesn’t put up with Tony’s worst tendencies and challenges him in many ways.
While they might not make the most sense, they wouldn’t be bad together.
Bruce Banner
For a period of time, the relationship between Tony and Bruce, known affectionately as Science Bros, was a rather popular ship. These two can relate to one another because of their intellect and love of science and tech.
This dynamic is rather endearing and would make for a good romantic relationship as well as friendship. They clearly have a friendly relationship and respect each other’s intellect.
Steve Rogers
One of the most popular Tony Stark pairings is Steve and Tony often referred to as Stony. These two are a popular ship for fans of the comics, too, and more people noticed their chemistry in the MCU. While they aren’t always even friends, they do have a lot of strong feelings for one another, and many people have pointed out that they do care for one another.
Given all of the angst moments between them, it’s no wonder that many people enjoy exploring this relationship. They are both leaders of the Avengers and challenge each other to see things in new ways.
James “Rhodey” Rhodes
Other than Pepper, one of the most important and consistent people in Tony’s life is Rhodey. These two have been friends for years, and, while Rhodey understandably gets fed up with some of Tony’s choices, they are overall there for each other. These two have a lot of loyalty and love for one another, and they would make for an endearing romantic couple.
Their friendship is one of the most underrated in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Rhodey would be a great partner for Tony.
