Marvel certainly knows how to make good use of family in both its comics and its film franchises. A common theme amongst many of the MCU films is the use of siblings, both blood-related and adopted. Some MCU siblings have strong relationships and collaborate forces for good (or evil), while others can’t seem to play nice with each other. Whether Asgardian Gods, highly trained assassins, or Wakandan royalty, family drama in the MCU is fairly similar to that in real life (aside from the super-powered characters). Whether their bond is strong or shaky, be they heroes or villains some of our favorite Marvel movies were more enjoyable due to the relationship dynamics of our favorite MCU siblings. If they are fighting together to save the world, dueling against one another to destroy it, or alternating between sibling bonds and rivalry, it makes for an interesting story arc either way. This past year, in fact, introduced audiences to some new family pairings in the MCU with Black Widow, and Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings. Family drama aside, here are our favorite MCU siblings.
6 Thor and Loki
Marvel Studios
Despite being adoptive brothers, and Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) propensity for betrayal, Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) love for his brother is clear throughout many of the MCU films. In Thor: Ragnarok for instance, Thor proclaims, “Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever." Similarly, Loki never denies Thor as his brother, despite stating that Odin was not his father on more than one occasion.
This squabbling duo is one of our favorite sibling pairs due to their hilarious chemistry; throughout most of the MCU movies they are at odds with each other, but there is always the sense that they love one another regardless of whether they are fighting together or against each another.
5 Wanda & Pietro Maximoff
Born in Sokovia, fraternal twins Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), or Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch respectively, each harness their unique powers. Originally the twins teamed up against Tony Stark as they blamed Tony for the death of their parents. As such, they joined Hydra. Once Hydra had fallen, they joined Ultron. They switched sides once again, however, when they learned of Ultron’s desire to destroy the world, and eventually joined the Avengers in the battle of Sokovia, which takes place in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Unfortunately, the battle of Sokovia would claim the life of Wanda’s beloved twin.
4 Natasha and Yelena
Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena (Florence Pugh) are some of the most recent additions to the Marvel Universe siblings. They share an unbreakable bond in Black Widow. The sister’s relationship dynamic is similar to that of other famous MCU siblings, like Thor and Loki or Gamora and Nebula: fraught with sibling rivalry, but still filled with love. Yelena looks up to Natasha throughout the film and resents how Natasha refutes their younger years as a true family relationship. After years of separation, much of the film is about the two women discovering what they mean to one another.
3 T’challa and Shuri
T’challa (the late Chadwick Boseman) and Shuri (Letitia Wright) make an interesting pair. As you can see in Black Panther, Shuri is forever trying to measure up to her elder brother. Shuri is the leader of the Wakandan design group and is responsible for most of the modern technology. Her support for her brother is clear throughout the movies. Undoubtedly one of the smartest people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shuri supersedes her brother in intelligence and may also be destined to become the future ruler of Wakanda.
2 Gamora and Nebula
Daughters of Thanos, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Nebula (Karen Gillan) are at odds with each other throughout most of the movies in the MCU. Growing up, Nebula was constantly vying for the attention of her father. Meanwhile, Gamora (Thanos’s adopted daughter) became his favorite, despite not caring for his approval and, later, actively working against him. This creates tension between the two sisters, all of which come to a head in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Despite their almost constant sibling rivalry, they do learn to accept each other as sisters as the Marvel timeline progresses.
1 Shang-Chi and Xialing
In the new Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we are introduced to Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), the first Asian superhero, and soon to be a big player in the MCU. We are also introduced to Shang-Chi’s sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), who is a combination of 5 of Shang-Chi’s comic book sisters, all wrapped up in one bad-ass warrior. Their sibling dynamic is tense at first as Xialing feels betrayed that Shang-Chi abandoned her. Xialing does, however, set aside her feelings to fight alongside her brother in true sisterly form. Despite her being gracious, you get the sense that tensions could arise between the two in future interactions, especially when the credits scene teases Xialing’s rise to power.
