After a decade, I finally feel happy admitting that I really liked the romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff inAvengers: Age of Ultron. There was a lot of pressure on 2015’sAge of Ultronas the first sequel to 2012’sThe Avengers, and while it’s considered the weakestAvengersinstallment in theMCUby many fans, I thought there was a lot to love about the Phase 2 movie. I even loved one ofAge of Ultron’smost controversial storylinesthat connected two unexpected superheroes in a romance that I’m sad never got the attention it deserved.
Avengers: Age of Ultronbrought Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together to take down the last remnants of HYDRA and then to battle thetyrannical artificial intelligence, Ultron, that was created through Tony Stark and Bruce Banner’s experiments with the Mind Stone. This was a difficult fight for the Avengers, butwhileAge of Ultronexplored an intense and action-packed adventure, the movie also had a great deal of levity. I thought this was most evident in moments shared betweenBruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff, though not everyone shared my opinion.
Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanoff’s Romance Was Controversial In Age Of Ultron
Mark Ruffalo & Scarlett Johansson Were Romantically Connected In Age Of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultronintroduced the idea of a romance blossoming between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff, which was an idea that many viewers found hard to come to terms with. Many found that bringing these two characters together was an attempt by Marvel Studios to boost the popularity and significance of both, even though the Hulk is one of Marvel’s most notable properties and Black Widow had been a central part of the MCU throughoutIron Man 2, The AvengersandCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Neither needed boosting, so I find this a pretty wild insinuation.
Some have argued that Banner and Romanoff’s romance has no impact on the characters orAge of Ultron’soverall narrative, but I respectfully disagree. While many aren’t wrong that one of the great things about Black Widow is that she is a powerful female hero who isn’t inherently tied to a male character through a romantic attachment, I don’t see anything wrong in humanizing her with basic and relatable emotions such as love and desire.Many were happy that Marvel forgot about Banner and Romanoff’s romance, but I am sad it didn’t go further thanAge of Ultron.
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Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanoff Are Actually A Great Match
I have always considered the criticisms ofBruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff’s romanceto be far too harsh and completely unnecessary. Other heroes such as Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Thor and many more have all been the subject of romance storylines, soI find it strange that Banner and Romanoff can’t without receiving hate, especially when they’re actually a fantastic match. Both characters consider themselves to be monsters, as mentioned inAge of Ultron, which connects them to each other more than any of the other Avengers.
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While some argued that Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson didn’t have strong chemistry on-screen, I wildly disagree.Ruffalo’s awkwardness and conflict as Bruce Banner perfectly bounced against Johansson’s confidence and quick-thinking as Natasha Romanoff, and I found moments such as their interaction at the Barton farmhouse and in Sokovia to be tender, emotional and heartfelt. Romanoff would have been the only Avenger without a romance storyline had this not been included inAge of Ultron, which I would have found a lot more insulting and controversial than her romance with Banner.
Sorry, But I Never Thought Betty Ross Was The Right One For Bruce Banner
Liv Tyler Played Betty Ross In The Incredible Hulk & Returned In The MCU’s Phase 5
Every other member of the Avengers aside from Natasha Romanoff (i.e. all the male heroes) had romantic interests in the MCU. For Bruce Banner, this was Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross inThe Incredible Hulk.Aside from the pair’s shared intellect and history studying and working together, however, I found nothing meaningful connecting Banner and Ross inThe Incredible Hulk. I’m reminded of just how much I disliked Betty Ross and her connection to Bruce Banner afterLiv Tyler’s return in 2025’sCaptain America: Brave New World, which was practically unneeded.
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Bruce Banner, despite his weirdness and awkwardness, is a man of conviction, a hero who runs into battle and protects those he loves at any cost. These are values reflected in Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow, but these traits have never been seen inBetty Ross' character in the MCU. Ross, instead, is whiny and afraid, and has most recently shown a lack of conviction by rolling over and forgiving her father despite years of him hunting her former partner and a lifetime of disappointments.I always thought that Natasha Romanoff was a much better match for Bruce Banner.
Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanoff’s Romance Deserved More
I really thought there was a lot of potential for Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff’s romance in the MCU, so I’m sad that this didn’t go any further thanAvengers: Age of Ultron.Marvel Studios could have taken this to some interesting places, especially by exploring both characters' twisted and tragic backstories in more detail, perhaps with both helping the other come to terms with their pasts. Marvel went the opposite direction, however, sending the Hulk to Sakaar ahead ofThor: Ragnarokand only teasing his connection to Black Widow in subsequent projects.
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Marvel didn’t adapt any of Black Widow’s romances from Marvel Comics into live-action prior to her demise on Vormir in 2019’sAvengers: Endgame. She didn’t connect with Daredevil, the Winter Soldier or anybody else, so her only opportunity for love was Bruce Banner, and I think this choice was a great one for the MCU. I consider it a huge shame that a negative response forced Marvel to divert and alter this storyline, and I think it’s an even bigger shame that Natasha Romanoff didn’t get the chance to find love afterAvengers: Age of Ultron.
