After a decade, I finally feel happy admitting that I really liked the romance between Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron. There was a lot of pressure on 2015’s Age of Ultron as the first sequel to 2012’s The Avengers, and while it’s considered the weakest Avengers installment in the MCU by many fans, I thought there was a lot to love about the Phase 2 movie. I even loved one of Age of Ultron’s most controversial storylines that connected two unexpected superheroes in a romance that I’m sad never got the attention it deserved.

Avengers: Age of Ultron brought Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together to take down the last remnants of HYDRA and then to battle the tyrannical 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, but while Age of Ultron explored an intense and action-packed adventure, the movie also had a great deal of levity. I thought this was most evident in moments shared between Bruce 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 Ultron introduced 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 throughout Iron Man 2, The Avengers and Captain 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 or Age of Ultron’s overall 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 than Age of Ultron.

Black Widow & The Hulk’s Histories Made Them A Perfect Match

Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanoff Are Actually A Great Match

I have always considered the criticisms of Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff’s romance to 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, so I 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 in Age of Ultron, which connects them to each other more than any of the other Avengers.

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 in Age 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 in The Incredible Hulk. Aside from the pair’s shared intellect and history studying and working together, however, I found nothing meaningful connecting Banner and Ross in The Incredible Hulk. I’m reminded of just how much I disliked Betty Ross and her connection to Bruce Banner after Liv Tyler’s return in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, which was practically unneeded.

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 in Betty 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.

I’m Sad Marvel Never Resolved Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanoff’s Romance In The MCU

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 than Avengers: 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 of Thor: Ragnarok and only teasing his connection to Black Widow in subsequent projects.

Marvel didn’t adapt any of Black Widow’s romances from Marvel Comics into live-action prior to her demise on Vormir in 2019’s Avengers: 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 after Avengers: Age of Ultron.

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