11 worst kisses in the MCU, ranked from "meh" to "make it stop"

Happy Valentine's Day! A day for romance - whether you have a date, two dates, or you're taking yourself out on a date. On this day of love, let's take a look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a place where heroes soar through the sky, punch bad guys, and... occasionally fumble through the art of romance.

Yep, we're going there.

The MCU is like watching a superhero version of a dating reality show sometimes. On one hand, you've got Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter – the golden couple of the MCU. Their love story is like a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven – just right. Steve crashing a plane into the Arctic to save the world, all while longing for a dance with Peggy? That's the kind of grand, heart-aching romance that makes you wanna hug a pillow and sigh deeply while your significant other rolls their eyes at you.

But then, just when you think the MCU is the Cupid of cinema, they serve up some... interesting pairings. It's like watching your two friends who argue all the time suddenly decide to make out at a party. Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff, for instance. Here we have a guy who turns into a giant green rage monster and a super spy with a dark past, and somehow, someone thought, "Yep, let’s get these two together." It’s as if the writers threw darts at a board of character names to decide who’d be smooching who. The romance feels as out of place as a penguin in the Sahara – it just doesn’t fit.

But hey, that's part of the charm, right? In the bigger picture with the MCU highs and lows, these moments add a splash of human awkwardness to our larger-than-life heroes, proving that even in a world of gods and monsters, love can be wonderfully, terribly, hilariously human.

Let's look at 11 specific kisses that had us all acting like my seven-year-old twins - covering our eyes and saying "skip to the next scene!"

11. T'Challa and Nakia in Black Panther

Starting off easy, we've got T'Challa and Nakia. There is nothing wrong with this kiss, but it's like the polite peck at a family reunion – sweet, but you're not exactly rushing to tell your friends about it.

I do love T'Challa and Nakia together, but... man, kiss her if you want to kiss her.

10. Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man and The Wasp

This kiss is like getting socks for Christmas. You saw it coming, you knew it had to happen, but you're not jumping for joy. However, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne do get bonus points for being "sneaky".

9. Thor and Jane Foster in Thor: The Dark World

Ah, the classic tale of a god and his mortal love. It's kind of like watching your teachers try to be cool – admirable effort, but you can't help but squirm. The whole thing with the hands and then... It's... just awkward.

8. Tony Stark and Pepper Potts in Iron Man 2

The OG couple of the MCU. This kiss is like your first attempt at baking – a little awkward, but it's the start of something great, so we give it a pass. I actually approve - Tony knew what he wanted and he went for it.

7. Peter Parker and Michelle Jones in Spider-Man: Far From Home

This is the epitome of teenage awkwardness. Peter Parker and MJ's first kiss is so awkward that it's actually really cute. It's like watching a baby deer take its first steps – adorable but oh so clumsy.

6. Star-Lord and Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War

The buildup was there, but when it happened, I remembered that Gamora was in fact kissing Star-Lord, the most immature "hero" in the entirety of the MCU, and I immediately cringed. He has such a punchable face. Bonus points to Drax for watching it all without being seen.

5. Vision and Wanda Maximoff in Avengers: Infinity War

It’s like watching two highly advanced AI try to understand human love – intriguing but slightly off-putting. I love them to pieces and their romance gets significantly better in WandaVision, but this kiss... It felt like two kids trying to keep their romance secret.

4. Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron

SUCH A GOOD SCENE, but not the right characters. Just... Just no.

The romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff felt like it came out of nowhere and it hadn't aged well at all. In fact, the MCU's quick attempt to drop it has just made his whole scene that much more unnecessary.

3. Peter Quill and Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy

Peter Quill and Gamora's almost-kiss in Guardians of the Galaxy is the equivalent of your internet buffering right before the climax of a movie. Frustrating, and it leaves you yelling at the screen. But good for you, Gamora! I wouldn't let him kiss me, either.

2. Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter in Captain America: Civil War

I like to pretend this one never happened. So forced, so unnecessary, and so unlike Steve. He'd never kiss the great-niece of the love of his life. This never happened. Not every superhero movie needs to have romance in it.

Like Bruce and Natasha, the further we get away from this one, the worse it gets. Such an unnecessary romance and a very unnecessary kiss.

1. Tony Stark and Christine Everhart in Iron Man

And the crown for the cringe-champion goes to... Tony’s fling! It’s like watching someone flirt using only bad puns. You want to laugh, you want to cry, and you definitely want to look away. No, thank you!

This is a moment that it feels like the modern-day MCU would avoid at all costs, and that makes sense. Sure, Iron Man has a nostalgic quality to it, but we just don't need unnecessary scenes like this one!

And there you have it, folks – a rollercoaster ride through the MCU’s most awkward attempts at love. Remember, even superheroes can have less-than-super moments.