After rewatching the MCU over the last month up to Endgame, Steve and Tony were never friends.

When I got to Civil War, it tried to play it up as two best friends being dramatically split apart, but over the MCU they basically never interact positively. It's not even like a rivalry friendship or like two brothers who kinda hate eachother but really love eachother.

They're only basically ever at eachother's throats when they directly interact. Tony always seems resentful of Cap for how his dad talked about him or his idealism, Cap only ever seems resentful of Tony's personality and sees him as spoiled. They have a little banter in Cap telling Tony not to swear one time, but even in the Ultron party scene they don't positively interact directly. The most time they have together is arguing while splitting wood in Ultron.

At no point do I really feel like these two were good friends or comrades. They act like begrudging co-workers, so when Civil War comes around and Tony feels all betrayed that Cap never told him Bucky killed his parents, or "He's my friend" and "So was I..." lines are popped out, it doesn't feel well set up and more like a missed opportunity. It's not as silly as Xavier and Magneto being like "Haha oh yes my old friend it certainly is always pleasant to see you when you try to kill me and all of humanity," but does feel undersold.

It's not until Endgame that it seems like they really come together over their shared failure after a bit of initial bickering immediately after. I'm wondering where this goes in Doomsday when Doom has Tony's face and Steve is involved.

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swagonflyyyy2025-12-30 20:34

Steve and Tony were friends but at the opposite end of the spectrum, which made things difficult for them.

But I would say they were friends. Stark wouldn't have gone on a rant in Endgame if he didn't.

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:06

That's...weird reasoning. Tony's Endgame rant was just blaming everyone else for his mess up which is typical Tony.

rubyschnees2025-12-30 20:45

they were never friends and the avengers were never family

Necessary-Range-4672025-12-30 20:48

Straight up. The Avengers always felt more like coworkers.

Calligrapher_Antique2025-12-30 20:53

"He's a friend from work"

Educational-Tea-65722025-12-30 21:30

As an aside... That's one thing that I found really refreshing when watching *Fantastic Four: First Steps.* All the major team-up/established large team movies to that point (mostly the *Avengers* movies, *Civil War,* *GotG,* and *Eternals*) included the team members fighting each other just about as much as they fight the major threat - and even often includes the rest of the world resisting/questioning their efforts to fight the major threat. Whereas in *FF,* while there IS conflict, the team is able to explain themselves and peacefully resolve both the interpersonal conflict and the conflict with the rest of the world pretty quickly, so the main focus is on "how are we going to tackle this threat" rather than questions like, for example, "is the rest of the world going to support the team at all?" or "when are Reed and Sue going to talk it out?" dominating the story.

(Granted - I can't say that all the Avengers team members fighting/bickering with each other means they *aren't* family. Even Drax corrects Nebula when she claims the Guardians fighting all the time means they aren't friends 😆 Just saying I really liked the change of tone in *FF.*)

FierceDeity882025-12-30 20:45

I think, and I hope, that the fact the Avengers didn’t really care about each other is why they were doomed to fail

I agree with you that Tony and Steve were never friends. They were coworkers. All of the Avengers were

One of the cringiest things in Endgame was how little any of them cared about Thor as he drank himself into a deep depression. Even Hawkeye, who also lost everything, seemed to not care and even acted like he was sane compared to him…forgetting that he’s been on a murderous rampage for several years. They were all basically desperately trying to hold in their fat jokes.

You even see some of this in some of the post-Endgame movies. Does Bruce Banner or Sam Wilson care that Peter Parker was framed and doxxed? Did Clint check on Wanda? Did Strange tell any of them Wanda’s “dead”? The answers to all of those questions are probably “no”, because they don’t care.

The only one who thought of the Avengers as a “family” was Natasha, who probably was so willing to sacrifice herself because she loved them all, even though they all barely cared about her.

As tragic as this is, however, I think her legacy will be the thing that propels the Avengers forward through her sister Yelena and the Thunderbolts. That movie emphasized the importance of all of them actually caring about each other and lifting each other up, not forgetting about one another when the big threat was defeated

I think there’s a reason why Sam’s team was formed offscreen. Because Sam’s not a good leader, and he’s not even a good teammate, so his team assembling is unimportant because it’s doomed to fail. If I had to guess, he’s the one with the issue of the Thunderbolts being the New Avengers in Avengers Tower, not Bucky. Which is remarkably petty, because a true leader and hero would wanna work with them, because they clearly earned their hero statuses.

From a narrative and legacy perspective, it makes way more sense for Yelena to be the leader of the Avengers to

Ambitious-Pirate-5052025-12-30 20:55

Natasha and Steve were friends

The whole world went thru a collective traumatic event. Everyone was in their own mess.

ubutterscotchpine2025-12-30 21:09

Natasha was friends/family with everyone, that’s the point this commenter is making. I was getting ready to defend the Avengers caring about each other too, but I agree with this person. Clint seemed to care about Wanda a ton until post-Endgame. Bucky and Sam too. No one really worries about Thor until they need him. Carol is never told about Talos. No one is told about Wanda — somehow Monica is the only one to give a shit about her and she didn’t even know her?? Where’s Clint? Bucky? Sam? Rhodey? Black Panther dies and that’s just it?

Obviously the is at the fault of Marvel having fifty thousand different writers and directors and making each movie so disconnected from the rest that it leaves these plot holes. Even Gunn said he was glad Taika took care of splitting the Guardians and Thor because he wasn’t even going to mention Thor in his movie, which feels really shitty. They need directors and writers who care about the WHOLE story, not just THEIR story.

FierceDeity882025-12-30 21:41

They were friends I agree. Out of that group Steve and Clint clearly cared the most when they learned Natasha was gone

And I agree that the snap was a huge traumatic event for everyone. The mistake they made was not trying to lift each other up when they were at their lowest. Again, it’s just kinda odd how everyone mocks Thor because I guess it’s more funny the hot jacked god is a fat drunk, when they’re all supposedly grieving

These people cared about each other, to a certain degree. But their collective emotional intelligence scales a lot lower than the Thunderbolts. I could never see all of the OG Avengers saving one of their own with an emotional, and extremely earned group hug, for instance

It’s not because they’re indifferent to each others pain, they just tend to see each other more as coworkers than friends. At least, that’s the general impression I got. To me, that was set up in Age of Ultron and then proved in Civil War, when it’s emphasized how easy it was to tear them apart

Ambitious-Pirate-5052025-12-30 21:59

Age of Ultron was Tony's fault.

Civil War was Tony's fault.

Thor was an arrogant God if you recall and viewed humans as pets to protect and not equals. Do you view toddlers as equals?

Thunderbolts only got to where they were by happenstance.

They are coworkers. Buck and Steve were friends. Natasha and Steve became friends after Winter Soldier. Buck and Falcon were friends.

Tony and Rhodey were friends.

Thats it.

But they all cared about each other to a point. But these are all heroes and gods and when they say leave them alone, you leave them alone. Or if they want to disappear then they do.

MC_chrome2025-12-30 22:35

Clint and Natasha were close friends, come on now

pennygirl1082025-12-30 21:07

I do think the most real relationship within the avengers was Clint and Natasha. She died to save him. She knew about his secret family. They were connected beyond their avengers work in a way that was rooted in deep friendship and mutual care.

In general when selling if characters see each other as acquaintances, coworkers, friends or found family I think it depends on a combination of the actors onscreen chemistry together, the story told with them and how the actors play the story that’s given to them.

Your line about the avengers not really caring about each other reminds me of in Agatha all along, during the attempted banishment Billy outright tells Agatha that he doesn’t really care what happens to her anymore. However right after his eyes are welling up with tears and he’s devolving into frustration and desperation as she fights back and begs with him. He obviously does care a lot and it’s breaking his heart to hurt her and their relationship. I just mention that as an example within the mcu to show how it can be demonstrated when the characters do really care about each other and are not indifferent to the plight of someone who is close to them.

DCangst2025-12-30 22:47

Well, technically Bucky and Steve both risked their lives to save the other, and Bucky sort of did "die" saving Steve from that Hydra-Blaster on the train. So, I'd put them along the same level of friendship as Clint and Natasha, probably more because they were friends their entire lives. That ties back to Civil War, because while Tony and Steve WERE friends, Bucky and Steve were practically brothers. And it wasn't so much as putting one friend above another as it was about Steve wanting to make sure Bucky didn't end up dead without so much as a fair shake.

PirateBeany2025-12-30 21:28

Not disagreeing with most of your analysis, but this struck me (emphasis mine):

>"***If I had to guess***, he’s \[Sam\] the one with the issue of the Thunderbolts being the New Avengers in Avengers Tower, not Bucky. ***Which is remarkably petty***, because a true leader and hero would wanna work with them, because they clearly earned their hero statuses."

This would be petty if it's true, but we don't know that it's true.

FierceDeity882025-12-30 21:44

For sure. Like I said, I’m just speculating

It’s also kinda based on Sam just…willing to let Isaiah Bradley get executed in prison in Brave New World even after it’s pretty obvious he had no control over his actions. And not wanting Ant-Man on his team

SinginGidget2025-12-30 23:18

Yeah, I think Sam's issues might have more to do with the new team working "for" Val.

However, the idea that he can sue for the name just because he has Steve's shield is so weird. Steve didn't own the name either. They took it from Fury's initiative. And then, in a way, everyone that showed up at the battle against Thanos is "an Avenger" because Steve told them to assemble. So both Bucky and Sam are already "Avenger***s***".

My secret head canon is that Sam is pretending to rival with them as a rouse and that he and Bucky are coordinating behind Val's back or something. Because I can't see Sam being that petty.

Responsible_Egg75192025-12-31 00:32

Yelena truly grieving Nat was such a breath of fresh air after the half-hearted reactions her death got in Endgame. Even Clint’s reaction wasn’t effective for me because I never really bought their bond

FierceDeity882025-12-31 00:49

Honestly? I agree

Like, she’s the reason you get to be with your family after you murdered alot of people and are never gonna pay for it. Maybe…do more than just live that simple quiet life on the farm? Call Wanda? You know, the sister of the man who saved your life and you named your son after?

IamJohnnyHotPants2025-12-30 20:45

You must be young and think all friends are best friends.

bloodyfaceirl2025-12-31 01:30

I'll

Segwaye2025-12-30 20:46

There are definitely giant holes in the relationships that we are supposed to care about.

Steve + Bucky
Steve + Peggy
Nat + Clint

We just don’t see enough screen time of them being close to justify the amount of dialogue and plot surrounding their closeness. It is similar to Star Wars prequels/revenge of the sith with Anakin and Obi-Wan.

HOWEVER, somehow the filmmakers do their darndest on all other fronts to make us feel like we saw all that closeness. And boy, it works.

Current-Bowl-1432025-12-31 00:07

> It is similar to Star Wars prequels/revenge of the sith with Anakin and Obi-Wan.

“You owe me one, and not for saving your skin for the tenth time.”

“Ninth time. That business on Cato Meimoidia doesn’t, doesn’t count.”

Yep, that was supposed to show they were “friends” lol

Segwaye2025-12-31 01:10

Yep, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about haha

But when the final “you were my brother, Anakin” comes…you can’t help but feel it.

Current-Bowl-1432025-12-31 01:31

You might have seen this before, it adds a bit more depth to that line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN74bOubUug

neojgeneisrhehjdjf2025-12-30 20:54

OP how old are you lol

Educational-Tea-65722025-12-30 21:14

Hmmmm... I wouldn't say they AREN'T friends... I guess I would classify them more as "work friends."

Like, they have their spats and disagreements but they still respect each other and work together well overall, even though (and I would say even say especially since) they approach problems from such different viewpoints, and they might have some simple conversations about "what did you do over the weekend" and other personal but not super deep topics when they are at work.

But they also aren't going to really hang out together outside of work, ya know?

Minimum_Virus_38372025-12-30 21:43

I'd consider this a good summary of them. They even have the occasional moments of joking with each other when they can play off a 3rd party, like at the end of Age of Ultron when they're both kind of joking with Thor about whether it counts that Vision could lift Mjolnir, but at the end of the day they aren't hanging out with each other on their own time. With the history between Steve and Tony's dad along with Tony's daddy issues, it's probably just too weird between them to be anything more than what they are.

Redditeer282025-12-30 21:18

They were never best friends but they could always trust each other. Civil War ended that trust.

Equivalent_Boss_99382025-12-30 21:32

Glad it ended on a good note in endgame they both went to past together and tony asked steve “do you trust me” steve said “i do”

DisastrousAd82662025-12-30 22:57

i wouldn’t say CW ended their trust

Traditional_Bottle502025-12-31 06:00

It did, Tony genuinely believed for a second that Steve was going to kill him at the end of Civil War, he couldn't even bring himself to call Steve in Infinity War despite having the phone with him, then there was his outburst in Endgame. The time heist rebuilt their friendship and trust in each other again, but it ended for a good few years before that.

kulitchipon2025-12-31 00:15

I like this take. I think trust is very important when it comes to fights, especially when lives are on the line

Gumichi2025-12-31 03:12

Watch the Avengers or Age of Ultron again with a cynical lens. There was basically no trust between Steve and Tony to begin with. They relied on each other as a last last resort.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 14:20

>They relied on each other as a last last resort.

Usually because Tony f-ed up and Steve had to fix things.

Lopsided-Clothes48662025-12-31 03:47

Based off what?

They could trust each other so much, that Stark tries to create an AI behind Steve’s back, not once but twice.

PhilosophyOk73852025-12-30 21:23

The implication is obvs that the avengers become good friends inbetween avengers and age of ultron

The whole dinner party scene is meant to show us this in ultron. It’s said they’ve all been together for a while taking down hydra bases. Yes it’s off screen but it’s pretty clear they are actually friends and I think RDJ and Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth had enough chemistry I believed it.

Mason119872025-12-30 21:45

Agreed. It’s very easy to see they were friends

Crit-Magnet2025-12-30 22:47

This is why I always wanted a movie or something, anything set in this period. It has always felt like such a missed opportunity to show them growing as a team.

Minnon2025-12-30 23:39

I've always liked the idea of a Disney+ sitcom in the style of The Office set during that time and showing their day-to-day working dynamic in Avengers Tower

carlitospig2025-12-30 23:54

I’d watch the crap outta that.

oboyohoy2025-12-31 02:01

Yess like the shorts we got with Thor!

SmokeGSU2025-12-31 02:49

I'd like to see this where the setting is a crew of blue collar construction workers who have to clean up the debris after various battles.

Fickle_Penguin2025-12-31 06:30

Like the warehouse of the office or the lower decks of star trek.

peteofaustralia2025-12-31 07:48

What was that DC universe show about regular folks in offices and on the street, dealing with all the fallout and debris and explosions from superhero clashes above and in their city?

yzdaskullmonkey2025-12-31 02:20

That period is a great candidate for a clone wars-style episodic cartoon to flesh out some adventures with the OGs

Bartman3262025-12-31 04:54

Animated D+ show that's Canon. Don't need live action stunts, costumes or the expensive actors.

People burnt on the mcu will ignore it but those still in will love it.

gwarwars2026-01-01 07:34

I'm burnt on star wars stuff and the only interesting media now is animated

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:31

They'd been together a few months taking down HYDRA bases but that was basically the longest period the team spent actually together. Thor was off doing his own thing as you see in Thor 2 and Ragnarok. Tony took a long break which is mentioned in Iron Man 3, which is set between Avengers 1 and Age of Ultron. Plus we know Clint had a wife and family nobody except Natasha knew about until Ultron.

mrfonsocr2025-12-30 23:38

This and even if Tony never truly liked Steve, he damn sure respected and admired him plus his perspective of what Steve represents all clashed when he felt betrayed by Steve not telling him the Bucky stuff

Giantrobby19962025-12-31 04:22

Agreed! Tony was totally prepared to reconcile with Cap and extend an olive branch with Bucky in Siberia before he learned what Bucky had done. Before that tape played, their feud was just a clash of philosophy based on bad intel, and Tony was showing a rare moment of humility by admitting he was wrong. And Steve was a flea’s fart away from signing the Accords before he found out Tony was essentially holding Wanda on house arrest.

dealant2025-12-31 06:15

I never got that part about Wanda, wasn't she basically just staying out of the public eye? Isn't that good after a snafu and so much bad press?

Stevenwave2025-12-31 07:04

Vision was tasked with keeping her there though. She has to overpower him to leave.

khaosenygma2025-12-31 07:08

I think it was both that Tony was keeping her out of the public eye but also she was basically being the only one punished when, as a team, they failed. Steve felt like she was being used as a scapegoat. Especially since Tony mentions that AFTER Steve signs, they can figure out what to do with Wanda.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 08:01

Tony was using Wanda as a bargianing chip, well her and Bucky to make Steve sign. Some would say that's not the act of a friend.

khaosenygma2025-12-31 08:17

Tony was also being strong armed into following the government. As the head of the Avengers he was doing what he was doing to save his friends. Bucky (who at the time was a terrorist) wasn't a friend at all. I don't even think they ever became friends. Getting Steve to sign would have gotten everyone else on board.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 08:29

>he was doing what he was doing to save his friends.

Tony also created Ultron to "save his friends"- the very reason they were in all that mess in the first place.

>As the head of the Avengers.... Bucky (who at the time was a terrorist) wasn't a friend at all.

Tony wasn't the "head" of the Avengers, Steve was. And Bucky wasn't ever a terrorist. To be a terrorist one has to have actually \*commited\* an act of terrorism - not just be suspected of one you didn't commit.

Besides, Bucky's status in Tony's eyes is irrelevant: would Tony sacrifice Pepper or Happy "for the team" if they were in Bucky's situation? No.

Also "the government told me to do it" isn't an excuse since the government also tells people to commit war crimes and other henious acts.

khaosenygma2025-12-31 08:47

Okay friend. Tony was only the public face and financier of the Avengers in it's entirety. Bucky killing the king of Wakanda wasn't an act of terrorism. Tony was also the only one that's approached by the public regularly. Signing autographs and doing talks at MIT.

Would Tony sacrifice his closest friend and/or his girlfriend vs would he give up a (not) terrorist to the government. Tony didn't know Bucky at all, why would he care if Bucky was turned in? The woman at the very beginning brings up Sokovia and it's the main reason he decides to sign the accords. He feels responsible but feels hes also trying to get his friends from being arrested like the government wants to arrest Bucky. Don't forget that when Tony goes to the super prison cap's team asks him "what did you think was going to happen" or something along those lines.

Ultron was supposed intended to be a peace keeping force. "A suit of armor around the world" kinda like how there were Ultron bots in MOM movie.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 09:09

>Bucky killing the king of Wakanda wasn't an act of terrorism

Juat going to stop you right there. Bucky \*didn't\* kill the King of Wakanda. Zemo did and framed him. That's like the whole point and you'd know that if you'd ***actually*** watched Civil War.

>Would Tony sacrifice his closest friend and/or his girlfriend vs would he give up a (not) terrorist to the government

Yes, that's the problem. Tony considers people who he doesn't directly like to be disposable and their lives worthless. Bucky is Cap's best friend and Cap knows he's innocent of the crime he was accused of. Tony is expecting Cap to make sacrifices he wouldn't make himself.

>

>He feels responsible but feels hes also trying to get his friends from being arrested like the government wants to arrest Bucky. Don't forget that when Tony goes to the super prison cap's team asks him "what did you think was going to happen" or something along those lines.

I get the feeling at this point you've only watched clips of Civil War. The team got arrested because Tony was chasing Bucky at the behest of Ross- and it turns out Bucky was thee wrong guy after all.

Tony then broke the Accords himsefl by going to Siberia mere minutes after making that speech.

>Ultron was supposed intended to be a peace keeping force. "A suit of armor around the world" kinda like how there were Ultron bots in MOM movie.

The catalyst for Ultron's creation was Tony's fear of loss. Good motives don't justify bad actions and all that.

joesb2025-12-31 21:37

Tony wasn't someone who got strong armed into following the government, see IM1/2. His PTSD and his guilt of Avenger 2's collateral damage got to him. He was trying to find scape goat to solve his own issue.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 08:16

>Agreed! Tony was totally prepared to reconcile with Cap and extend an olive branch with Bucky in Siberia before he learned what Bucky had done.

I'd call that an optimistic exaggeragtion. Tony's actions were still the reason half the team were in The Raft and Steve was a fugitive. It was going to take more than "yeah, sorry I was wrong" to fix that.

Plus Tony had just alienated Clint by shooting his mouth off and revealing his family as well as Natasha by laughing about T'Challa telling Ross about her involvement in the airport fight. He was simply bargaining on the fact Steve didn't know about either of those things.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 07:59

Yet Tony clearly knew Bucky had been mind controlled- his Manchurian Candidae remark proves that. So what basis is there for the claim Steve "didn't tell Tony anything".

Plus the fact Steve didn't tell Tony about his parents says Steve knew how vindictive Tony could be. He probably believed Tony would hunt down and murder Bucky if he knew. Which he very much would.

Noble_Bug2025-12-30 23:59

There's a few little hints in AOU. The side conversation they have when they find out Klaw is dealing vibranium also feels like it implies a deeper relationship too in just a couple of lines.

blanchattacks2025-12-31 00:17

Agreed. One time at a wedding it was all old army buddies and my ex looks at me and says "do you guys even really like each other?"
"Oh yeah, id kill for all of them, why?"
Only then I realized all we did was make fun of each other.

The-ghost-of-life2025-12-31 01:20

Yeah, we are supposed to think that but it's not what we get, in my opinion. This was my biggest issue with Age of Ultron. before the movie even came out we already knew the next Cap movie is going to be Civil War. Knowing this, I expected Age of Ultron to build their relationship or show me clearly that their relationship has been developed into friendship. I never got this. They didn't even interact much in this movie. Where is the friendship? Friendship that is beyond coworkers level of friendship?

None of the Avengers felt like friends to me, by the way, not just Steve and Tony (except from Natasha and Clint, but they had this relationship before the Avengers were formed). They feel like colleagues. That dinner party scene, it just looks like these fancy business parties a company throw for their workers or the ones when you are supposed to mingle and establish business or academic connections or whatnot. Work-related social event. Not just fun, intimate event the Avengers throw for themselves because they genuinely just want to spend some fun time together. I really wanted to feel they are close friends, but their relationships never felt more than a coworker level of friendship to me. I hate Ragnarok, but Thor's "it's a friend from work" actually rang true to me. It really feels that's all they are.

khavii2025-12-31 01:38

These aren't coworkers, they are brothers-in-arms which is a deep connection. They don't compile spreadsheets together and attend agile breakout sessions, they track, investigate and hunt enemy combatants in an international conflict after saving each other from MASSIVE threats. There is some serious bonding there whether they are overtly friendly or not. Watch their group battles, Iron Man defers to Cap often and Cap trusts Tony in battle. They have seriously different view points on the world but still respect each other and that gets shown in every movie they are together in. You don't have to hang out constantly and agree on everything to be friends with someone.

I feel like they did a good job showing their bond AND their deep disagreements, it makes them complex and realistic in their relationship.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 08:05

Does Steve trust Tony though? I mean Tony's actions in Age of Ultron were a massive voilation of trust- going behind his team's back to create Ultron.

suss2it2025-12-31 05:37

I agree with you, except *Winter Soldier* did a good job of selling Steve and Natasha’s friendship too. But I actually like that. Teams like the Avengers or Justice League aren’t united out of friendship but out of duty so having more of a co-worker dynamic makes sense and also leaves room for the found family type teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Titans to feel more unique.

The-ghost-of-life2025-12-31 18:13

You are right about Steve and Natasha, I forgot about them.

I think I was looking for something that wasn't there and apparently never meant to be. I don't know, people who fight alongside each other for quite a while usually develop strong bond with each other. I expected something more like that. I wish we saw them care about each other more, instead of things like that needless love story between Natasha and Bruce (imo) no one asked for.

Specifically about Steve and Tony, I knew that in the comics Steve and Tony were great friends and in Civil War they were the heads of the two opposite groups of superheroes in conflict with each other. So beyond the fight over two different ideologies/stances, there was also the personal aspect, two friends who love each other and are now at odds, and they both suffer for it. I expected to have at least something of that sort in the movies so I thought we would see them much closer in AoU, or in the process of that, but it never happened. And yeah, yeah, I know the comics and the movies are two different things, but I was still disappointed.

ebagdrofk2025-12-31 02:11

Your comment has 600+ upvotes and OP has less than 200+. I think you hit the nail on the head there

Kylynara2025-12-31 02:18

I would add that basically in Avengers, from the time Hawkeye attacked the Helicarrier to the end of the movie they didn't fight or shit talk each other really. They worked together to get the engine going again. And yeah things were a bit tense when Steve was getting shot at and Tony was in the engine, but neither could really see what the other was dealing with.

Also: "It seems to run on some form of electricity."
"Well, you're not wrong."
Was a bit snarky, but A. Tony just is snarky. And B. I felt like that was more Tony snarking at himself because he should have known that Steve would have no clue. Of anyone on the planet, Steve would have the least clue what he was looking at.

bolerobell2025-12-31 23:06

Yeah them working together to fix the helicarrier engine is when I felt those two really start to mesh together well. Like that was the beginning of their friendship.

BabyfaceJohn2025-12-30 21:27

I mean… you have to remember that they were busting arms dealers all the live long day as a team up until AOU started too… so offscreen stuff. It’s implied… giving Tony the phone too at the end of Civil War, the respect is clear! You also have to realise that they were passed between directors too!

AdditionalMess65462025-12-31 18:27

Object permanence does not appear to be OP's strong suit

fzammetti2025-12-30 21:35

I don't really think you're wrong, but I think it only matters if you start from the assumption that they're SUPPOSED to be friends.

Remember what Fury said: "There was an idea, to bring together a group of remarkable people, to fight the battles we never could.". Notice he didn't say a group of FRIENDS.

And at the end of The Avengers, what happens? They all go their separate ways, and when asked what'll happen if they're need again, Fury says they'll re-form. That means The Avengers were always supposed to be temporary, and as such friendship isn't a prerequisite in much the same way we can go to work with people, even enjoy each other while there, but not call them friends.

Having a whole Avengers complex with them all hanging out all the time was never the plan, and it makes you wonder how they actually got to that point in Civil War. My own suspicion is this was just more of Tony's hubris on display, more of his "suit of armor around the world" mentality. Basically, I think in his mind he figured if he built the compound - and I assume it WAS him that built it - and get everyone together all the time because why WOULDN'T Earth's mightiest heroes be around all the time, then you've in a way got that suit of armor around the world.

But that wasn't the original plan from Fury, right?

So, then, why does Tony tell Cap they were friends? I think the simplest explanation is similar to how you might say someone at work is a "friend" even though you don't mean it literally. You really just mean someone you basically like and get along with and spend a fair bit of time together with because of your work. Some people say "work friend" specifically for such cases, but in a clearly tense emotional moment you might not be so precise, and I think that was the deal with Tony at that point. And plus, the man 100% felt super-betrayed, rightly or wrongly, in that moment, and being betrayed by a "friend" feels worse than being betrayed by some work acquaintance, so saying what he did expresses his strong feelings in that moment better than anything else he might have said.

Roll in your notion of resentment and I think you're right, they were never friends... but they were never SUPPOSED to be, and it ultimately really doesn't matter whether they were or not, the emotions throughout their relationship were no less real. And plus, that makes what sure seemed like a true friendship that blossomed after they reconciled in Endgame mean all that much more, not to mention how Steve reacted to Tony's death.

So the only part I'd argue with is saying they were "never" friends. No, I think they were, but only in the very end.

Ryjolnir2025-12-30 21:40

You have to imagine the time spent off screen

CreativeSwordfish3912025-12-30 22:37

we never see captain america take a shit, why??

Araanim2025-12-30 21:40

Remember that there were several years of the Avengers operating nonstop between Avengers and Civil War. We only see specific glimpses in the movies but it's implied that they go on all sorts of missions between films. By Ultron they're essentially all living in the tower, right? (They certainly all lived at the compound.) They were absolutely spending the majority of their time together.

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:10

Nah that doesn't work, especially if you watch the movies set in betwen The Avengers installments. Thor 2, Iron Man 3, Ant Man etc. They made it abundantly clear Thor and Tony were usually off doing their own thing: Tony took very long "breaks" and Clint was the guy who kept having to be dragged out of semi-retirement. He definately wasn't living in the tower either: liike he has a ranch and a family nobody except Nat knew about.

Plus Bruce Banner basically went missing at the end of Age of Ultron and wasn't found again until 2 years later by Thor on another planet.

Forsaken_Professor792025-12-31 02:03

Just because Tony wasn’t active doesn’t mean he wasn’t showing up at the compound or in contact with them. He was literally funding and housing them. Sometimes just because things aren’t explicitly said doesn’t mean the context isn’t there.

I mentioned it earlier but I have lifelong long distance friendships from the military with people I’ve spent anywhere between 3-24 months with. The core Avengers were together for a period of almost a year from the fall of SHIELD to AOU which is about a year. Tony in his words became an active duty non combatant aka reserve member from 2015 to 2016 (the events of Civil War). If we go back to the events of the Avengers to Civil War that’s almost 4 years of a relationship whether in person or from afar. That’s well enough time to be friends. Work friends at the minimum and brothers in arms in reality.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 07:31

>Just because Tony wasn’t active doesn’t mean he wasn’t showing up at the compound or in contact with them. He was literally funding and housing them. Sometimes just because things aren’t explicitly said doesn’t mean the context isn’t there.

Except for one small problem. The idea Tony was "housing everyone" assumes nobody had a job or accommodation outside the Avengers. Yet Sam later says the Avengers were unpaid volunteers.

We also know for a fact Sam already had a career. Clint had a ranch where his wife and kids lived. Steve is shown as having his own apartment in Avengers 1 and Winter Soldier, and there's a reference to him looking for a new one on Age of Ultron. Thor is a Space god and heir to the throne. He's got like a palace in Asgard. They're not homeless and dependent on Tony.

In fact we also know the Avengers compound didn't exist before the fall of SHIELD or the events of Age of Ultron because it's first introduction is in Ant Man, set mere months before Civil War. Ant Man breaks in and finds only Sam at the compound.

>If we go back to the events of the Avengers to Civil War that’s almost 4 years of a relationship whether in person or from afar. That’s well enough time to be friends. Work friends at the minimum and brothers in arms in reality.

Yet in Civil War Stave is unaware of things like Pepper having left Tony or what happened in Iron Man 3 (which resulted in Pepper leaving). Things that close friends would talk about.

And Thor literally calls Bruce a "friend from work" in Ragnorok then has to inform him 2 years have passed.

Gerry-Mandarin2025-12-31 02:12

>Nah that doesn't work, especially if you watch the movies set in betwen The Avengers installments.

There are several references to the time they spend togethin Age of Ultron alone.

>Thor were usually off doing their own thing

Was he? He moved to Earth permanently in The Dark World and talks about finding Strucker and the spear "at long last" in Age of Ultron and is familiar with the typical HYDRA defences.

>Tony took very long "breaks"

Tony talks about being on several Avenger missions from before the fall of SHIELD to Age of Ultron and "all their raiding parties".

>Clint was the guy who kept having to be dragged out of semi-retirement.

He was active until Age of Ultron, with Nat making jokes about how he fits in. But also the fact that he trusts the rest of them on the same level as Nat to reveal his family to them shows how much their relationship had moved on, no?

>Plus Bruce Banner basically went missing at the end of Age of Ultron and wasn't found again until 2 years later by Thor on another planet.

They also explicitly say when he goes missing they aren't going to be able to find him easily, but are looking.

They never explain how Bruce ends up on Sakaar. Why would anyone be looking there? How would they be looking there?

But in short, Age of Ultron has multiple expository lines that 2014-2016 were very active "Avenging" years. With 2014 and 2015 having the original 6.

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 07:17

>Was he? He moved to Earth permanently in The Dark World

Have you actually watched Dark World? I think you might be confusing it with Love and Thunder because Thor definitely hasn't "moved to earth permanently". Half the movie doesn't even happen on earth and it starts with Loki being taken to Asgard.

There's also multiple references in the movie to him and Jane Foster having broken up because Thor disappeared.

>They never explain how Bruce ends up on Sakaar. Why would anyone be looking there? How would they be looking there?

And the only reason Thor found Bruce was because he was "doing space stuff". The entirety of Ragnarok is set in space, on Sakaaar or on Asgard.

>But also the fact that he trusts the rest of them on the same level as Nat to reveal his family

Um the only reason Clint revealed his family was that they needed somewhere to hide from Ultron. It was an act resulting from necessity, not trust. And it very clearly \*not\* on the same level as Nat who Clint's kids called "Aunt". and who he was gonna name his kid after.

>expository lines that 2014-2016 were very active "Avenging" years. With 2014 and 2015 having the original 6.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set in 2014 and only has Cap and Natasha. Not all 6 together. Civil War is set in 2016 and yet Cap wasn't aware Tony had broken up with Pepper and they have to "catch up".

In conclusion the actual events and lines suggest they were together for a few months of 2015 at most.

CaptainCayden20772025-12-30 21:51

It’s like two really good coworkers and friends who voted differently.

PaulClarkLoadletter2025-12-30 21:51

I have friends that I staunchly disagree with to the point that it would outwardly appear that we hate one another. We have an understanding though and while we're highly unlikely to greet each other with a hug we will absolutely be there for the other one if needed.

neoblackdragon2025-12-30 21:52

To me the Friend means different things to different people.

I think you are leaning toward "Like brothers".

Stark honestly has very few friends. Yeah he can party of loads of people but most of them aren't friends. His whole family is long dead.

Tony trusted Steve enough to fight back to back. To literally die on the same hill. Doesn't mean they hang out at a pub every day to discuss life and everything.

Steve is the same way.

Then for some people co-workers are the only people they know. So yeah Tony's inner circle is really small and the Avengers are inside of it.

Teliporter3342025-12-30 21:58

Agreed, they never really showed them being friends in the MCU. The comics—mainly 616 continuity—and the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes show did a much better job of showing their friendship instead of just implying it.

In the MCU it works if you fill in the blanks yourself and say that they were buddies off screen and between movies.

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:20

>In the MCU it works if you fill in the blanks yourself and say that they were buddies off screen and between movies.

Until you watch Iron Man 3 and realize they had basucally no interactions beween Avengers 1 and Age of Ultron.

DJfunkyPuddle2025-12-30 22:03

They were friendly and respectful but never best friends. I disagree that Civil War was explicitly framed as "two best friends falling out" though.

JTBestRob2025-12-31 03:25

If Tony and Steve were just colleagues then civil war loses a lot of weight and their reconciliation is less impactful. “Yayyy those two work buddies are working again”

Obskuro2025-12-30 22:04

I understand that many saw Steve and Tony as colleagues at best. But let's take a look at Tony's social circle. His closest friends are his personal assistant, his head of security, and his military liaison. Tony is a workaholic. He doesn't have friends outside of work because he always works. But he is also really good at bonding with those people. Like when he instantly cracks jokes with the soldiers in the first scene in Iron Man, or when he is stuck on a drifting space ship with Nebula. Tony treats those he works with as friends. Which doesn't mean he acts all nice and cozy with them.

It doesn't really matter if they seemed like friends to us. It mattered that Tony saw Steve as a friend.

McWhiffersonMcgee2025-12-30 22:16

I think the betrayal is more along the lines of Cap being the honest goody two shoes, leader of the team, with the moral compass, who is willing to do the right thing even if its hard, but hiding secrets to protect a friend who is actually a villain. Hes a big hipcorit in this sense.

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:22

As if Tony didn't go behing his the entire team's back and nearly get them all killed in Age of Ultron. Plus Bucky wasn't a villain. Line both Winter Soldier and Civil War take great pains to show that.

McWhiffersonMcgee2025-12-30 23:32

In Tony's eyes hes a villain, and Tony is a narcissist why would he consider his own actions?

EcksFountain1322025-12-31 00:01

I mean sure but the narcissist thing kind of makes Tony an unreliable narrator. I guess it's best to say Tony simply *thinks* Steve betrayed him rather than Steve actually did so.

Though it must be said, narcissists are notorious for perceiving almost anything as "betrayal" due to their hypersensitivity and fragile ego.

xprdc2025-12-30 22:27

Steve and friendships is hard. Up until Infinity War, Steve made it clear that Bucky was his ride or die due to their upbringings. ‘Til the end of the line.

Then Endgame and Steve dips for Peggy, who happened to refuse any interest in Steve until there was another woman/Bucky fell. I know she was just professional and focusing on the war effort but it’s still crazy that based on that storyline, she is Steve’s soulmate.

Subject-Ad50712025-12-30 22:33

I rewatched Endgame recently. It’s a movie that has a lot of problems that will be liked less over time. It sucks to say because this was a hallmark.

Current-Bowl-1432025-12-31 00:12

It came out 6½ years ago. It’s already liked less. The big hype over it (and the MCU craze in general) finished years ago. For my part, I was never that enamoured by it and thought it was a letdown after Infinity War.

Subject-Ad50712025-12-31 00:29

Thank you! It sucks, but I watched it to relive some of the old glory. Hilariously, I never watched it more than once. I watched it recently, and I thought, I see some of the problems that are going to come. The movie has no stakes until Natasha and Clint fight over who will die. Everything bad that happened while time heisting only happens because of bad luck, not because of actual danger. Tony saying “time messes back” is absolute ass covering for a mistake.

Live_Answer_38752025-12-31 00:52

Other than the last 30-40 minutes of the movie, I thought it was a letdown too.

Caracallademise2025-12-31 01:19

Endgame was so boring outside of the battle. Not even to be edgy but in terms of storytelling it isn't nearly as good as the best marvel movies. Pure fanservice. And that is the point of the movie. For what it is, it worked well.

Subject-Ad50712025-12-31 01:23

Fanservice never justifies a movie’s quality or existence. You can like it, but definitely don’t go around saying it’s peak if you’re one of those people. Also, an arc ender should not be fanservice. Endings are very important. It tells you if the whole project was well made and or planned.

RWings19852025-12-30 22:41

Maybe Steve tried to save Tony before he returned the time stone and “time messed back” In saving Tony he lost his daughter somehow, creating an alternate branch leading us to doctor doom who is taking everyone’s children as we’ve seen in the teasers so far

Rastarapha3202025-12-30 22:53

That's not really what's most important IMO
What matters is that they are written in parallel (like Zuko and Aang, for a better example)

phreakynox2025-12-30 23:01

I mean given the nature of their occupation, they don't need to be "best friends" to have mutual trust and respect for each other. Kind of like not all firefighters or EMTs that work together are close friends. Some inadvertently will become friends (and I would argue Tony and Steve became so even though they're polar opposites) but they don't need to be to know that they have each other's back in life or death situations. Tony snaps because that trust, regardless of whether or not they're "friends", was shattered.

AbuYates2025-12-30 23:02

You also have to consider that Tony was snarky with and about everyone and everything. When they were present. But even when at odds, his comments on Steve showed immense respect.

Riversntallbuildings2025-12-30 23:04

Correct, they’re not friends, they’re teammates…Cap thinks of Tony as a soldier or maybe even an officer in the army, Tony thinks of Cap as an employee of another executive of one of his companies.

People work with all sorts of personalities that don’t align, but that doesn’t mean they don’t share a common goal.

I mean…no one’s really friends with the Hulk…not even Banner. LOL

Also, Hawkeye isn’t “friends” with any of them besides his family and Natasha…maybe Nick Fury, but Nick isn’t the trusting, friendly type either.

A lot of traits that make a person “successful” make friendships really difficult. :/

JTBestRob2025-12-31 03:23

But with that logic the mcu’s biggest emotional impact doesn’t work.

“He’s my friend”
“So was I”

Riversntallbuildings2025-12-31 05:06

Oh, see, that’s where I think my descriptions are even more poignant. Billionaires/millionaires/ceo executives always think everyone is their friend. But they don’t understand the true difference.

Cap knows the difference between a friend and a teammate / countryman.

Also, you reminded of my favorite line in “Tombstone”

“Ah hell Doc, I got lots of friends.”

“I don’t.”

blodyn__tatws2026-01-03 03:28

Thor seems to like Hulk.

Riversntallbuildings2026-01-03 03:31

He’s a friend from work

blodyn__tatws2026-01-03 03:42

Damn. Take my upvote. 😅

What about Natasha then? She likes Hulk. He won't let her but she does.

Riversntallbuildings2026-01-03 03:50

I thought they were more than friends…;)

you don’t remember Shark’s “hide the zucchini” comment in Age of Ultron? LOL

blodyn__tatws2026-01-03 03:55

I was being a bit euphemistic. 😅

Soggy-Mistake89102025-12-30 23:14

They're colleagues. They work together to get the job done. Doesn't make them besties!

Sal_Paradise812025-12-30 23:15

I see you point and also disagree. I think yes, Tony FOR SURE resents the role Steve played in his life, via his dad, growing up. But I also think there’s a shared sense of just not really belonging anywhere that bonds them.

I’d say before the events of Avengers (2012) Tony was definitely shedding the selfish manchild nature that had guided him and Steve hadn’t at all adjusted to the 70 years he’d missed. Of COURSE they were antagonistic. After that, though, I think what started as a mutual sense of purpose and respect for each other really did become a very close friendship. There’s real heart ache there in the climax of Civil War when Tony calls Steve his friend. It’s actually pretty heartbreaking. Steve may be the only person besides Pepper and Happy at that point that Tony really does consider a friend. I dunno, just my two cents.

skronk612025-12-30 23:15

Well yeah who would be friends with Tony? He doesn’t deserve Steve

EcksFountain1322025-12-30 23:17

I mean this kind of makes sense. People seem to have this miscoception that the OG Avengers were together all the time but they really weren't. Clint had a family and a ranch nobody except Nat even knew about, Tony took \*really\* long "breaks" in between movies and Thor was usually off dealing with Asgardian business. Then Bruce was basically missing for 2 years until Ragnorok when Thor found him on Sakaar.

Steve was closer to Sam and Natasha then Tony. Plus if Iron Man 3 is anything to go by there's no evidence he and Steve had any interactions between Avengers 1 and Age of Ultron. Which would be a period of 3 years.

anarchyisutopia2025-12-30 23:18

This is why I liked Weekend at Ultron’s so much. It was the only Avengers movie that didn’t start with them being fractured and fighting until they come together to beat the big bad. We needed more day to day Avengers content to show the relationships and comradery. All we have if that in the MCU, outside of mid-mission banter, is the shawarma scene and the dinner party.

Ok-Guidance1162025-12-31 03:35

That's just a problem with the MCU.
They're very plot driven films.
They don't really get to take a second to show relationships grow.

Ragnarok_6192025-12-30 23:18

Some people have the media literacy of a pond.

Ericandabear2025-12-30 23:24

You lost me at Magneto. Xavier and Magneto were together for decades before clashing Xmen vs Brotherhood.

Its the same for Cap and Tony as other pointed out, there are numerous lines in AoU hardening to time spent running missions together

ReddiTrawler20212025-12-30 23:26

We'll never really know what happened in the interim between films.

But I think I would not call the MCU Avengers close enough to be friends. The MCU Guardians of the Galaxy are closer and look after each other better than them.

Afwife19922025-12-30 23:34

They weren’t besties like Tony and Rhodey or Steve and Nat or Steve and Sam but they were friends with a deep mutual respect. When Tony left at the end of ultron Steve very sincerely said he’d miss him. And Tony for all his smack talk in avengers fell in line and listened to him during the battle and told Loki he was “a living legend who lived up to the legend”. A deleted or un filmed scene showed Tony looking at the phone Steve gave him in IW before the Bruce scene. He obviously always had it with him. Steve called him Earth’s Best Defender and immediately returned to the us, risking arrest, when he saw the news. The friendship obviously meant a lot to them both.

n_mcrae_19822025-12-30 23:44

There a video I saw somewhere talking about how the Thunderbolts are friends but the Avengers are not.

Gorguf622025-12-30 23:54

When Tony and Nebula arrived at the compound, Steve was the one to race to Tony.

Couch_monster2025-12-30 23:54

They weren’t friends, but friends from work

jsnxander2025-12-31 00:11

Actual Friends -

Steve and Bucky
Steve and Sam
Bucky and Sam (eventually)
Natasha and Clint
Tony and Roddy

Work Friends -

Steve and Tony

blanchattacks2025-12-31 00:19

I don't know man. One time at a wedding it was all old army buddies and my ex looks at me and says "do you guys even really like each other?"
"Oh yeah, id kill for all of them, why?"
Only then I realized all we did was make fun of each other.
Bonds and the shit they went through together is probably deeper than just being surface level friendly.

Vhsgods2025-12-31 00:28

Doom looks like Tony and Steve is making a comeback? Huh?

Own-Box35262025-12-31 00:38

I agree with you. They were colleagues at best

ohmeohmyelliejean2025-12-31 00:45

The Avengers always give me toxic corporate “we’re a big family” here vibes. Like please you’re co-workers who have trauma bonded, it happens to the best of us.

Arsenio32025-12-31 00:48

They are coworkers.

devoid01012025-12-31 00:49

Civil War didn’t try to play like they’re best friends, at all. It was clearly about two teammates split by their interpretation of the law based on their old/new school views on surveillance and privacy and big government, and later by Bucky’s actions, making it personal.

Live_Answer_38752025-12-31 00:50

They respected each other and challenged each other when there were doubts. That’s a pretty close relationship. Not sure what you are going on about, but you are wrong.

bipolarxpres2025-12-31 00:54

Relationships can be complex my guy. You have to understand that Tony's relationship with his dad had a lot of baggage, and knowing that Steve was extremely close with Howard (even closer than Tony ever was) Tony still holds underlying animosity simply from his own daddy issues. Yes sometimes it comes off as sideways in regards to how he handles Steve but everyone including Steve and Tony knows deep down Tony absolutely cares deeply for Steve and holds him as a genuine best friend.

We only see < 10% of what actually happens day to day with these people because we are shown mostly the catastrophic events and extremely high tense situations.

exaviyur2025-12-31 01:02

The people that get on our nerves the most tend to be the people we're closest with.

Caracallademise2025-12-31 01:17

Everyone in the comments saying all that friendship stuff happened off screen. Exactly, that's why it feels bad. Nobody cares if all this stuff happens offscreen because it gives us as an audience very little to form an opinion on. the avengers never felt like friends, they had their little sub groups. Its had writing to be like this group of people are friends but we'll barely show it. Thats one of the biggest reasons GotG come off as better than the Avengers. We watched their friendship grow on screen.

Specifically for Tony and Steve I feel like Tony lwk subtly admired Steve and therefore resented him in certain ways which is why their "break up" arc was like that. Like when Tony said that his dad mentioned Cap a lot. Or how Tony sometimes adapts steves own morals and values into his thought process. In Avengers, Steve basically told Tony he was nothing without the suit. Tony then tells Peter Parker if he is nothing without that suit then he shouldn't have it on. Tony actually does it multiple times where he uses callbacks on things Steve said like his whole rant and breakdown at the beginning of Endgame about how Steve said way back during Ultron they would lose together but Steve wasn't there. Tony probably trusted Steve but not as his "first friend" type of thing. Like there will always be people closer to Tony than steve but there's probably nobody he trusted more than Steve. Tony also uses Steves morals as a shorthand for what's right like with Peter. So when he found out that steve was hiding that from him, that broke the trust. Their relationship wasn't ever best of buds to begin with as they always had different means to reach their goals. But when Tony sort of sees Cap as this moral symbol then finds out he was hiding what Bucky did to his parents, it became this huge betrayal.

Forsaken_Professor792025-12-31 01:54

Strongly disagree. They weren’t best friends but they were friends and they deeply respected each other. The avengers behaved exactly like a military unit would and Steve and Tony certainly behave like senior leaders would. Very few understand but they were definitely friends and that’s why the betrayal stings with Tony. Notice he wasn’t pissed at Nat for doing what she does best. Nat very much knew about Bucky. Tony while he won’t really admit looks up to Steve especially considering this is the man “dad wouldn’t shut up about”

sixtytwosixtyseven2025-12-31 03:11

They were co-workers lol

bergamote_soleil2025-12-31 03:13

Steve and Tony were work friends, and Tony was of course right to feel betrayed that someone he trusted to have his six would not tell him something so important.

That being said, of course Steve was always going to choose Bucky and his best interests. "Saving Bucky" is one of his primary motivations throughout his films, over and above "doing the right thing" or "the greater good." He literally chose to die and let a dangerous, brainwashed HYDRA assassin carry on rather than kill Bucky.

While the MCU definitely could have built up Steve and Tony's relationship more on-screen to make the betrayal more emotionally resonant, I can believe they're friends enough that Tony feels some kind of way about Steve's lie of omission -- it just seems silly to compare in that moment because Steve so dramatically understates what Bucky means to him by just calling him his "friend." That's your ride-or-die soulmate.

Giantrobby19962025-12-31 04:17

I saw it as a deep mutual respect for each other as colleagues, but also with major differences in technique and philosophy that came to a head in Civil War. That’s what I thought of them butting heads so much; they thought highly of each other but couldn’t stand how different they were; with Tony always calculating before he made a move and Cap always running toward the danger with no regard for his safety until the shooting starts.

I believe it only broke down so badly in Civil War because Thor was their middle ground because he was an Asgardian Prince. By the time he became an Avenger he was wise enough to think about precision and minimizing collateral damage before he acted, which he had in common with Tony; and he was selfless and headstrong enough to put himself in harm’s way to protect others, which he had in common with Captain America.

In the end they realized they completed each other so the world needed both.

SpeedBlitzX2025-12-31 06:13

In Civil War when Steve and Tony are fighting remember what Cap said to Tony, in regards to Bucky.

where he tells Tony he can't stop because Bucky is his friend. Then Tony replies "So was I"

Tony straight up just admits it.

coneyisland922025-12-31 09:14

None of them were friends, apart from Nat/Cliff.

Let’s be real, the films were trying to convince us that they were like a family.

Um….no

dawne_breaker2025-12-31 13:20

They’re work-besties. The problem with their personalities is that they work together and they are stronger together. But they’re never going to hang out and have beers just the two of them. They’re too different. And that’s part of their conflict. Tony wants to be his friend and Steve sees a lot of problems with Tony making it that he doesn’t open up to him. Tony hates how his father was friends with Steve.

They’d easily risk anything for one another and they have a great deal of respect for one another but they can never really be friends.

Realistic-Maybe-15782026-01-01 17:15

Yeah, their conflict runs throughout the Infinity Saga. Never Best Friends. I think Tony impressed Cap when he almost died flying that nuke through the space portal in the Avengers 1, and they both tried to get along, but eventually Zemo's plan in Civil War put them on opposite sides, leaving for a divided response to Thano's attack in Infinty War.

Dixie-Chink2026-01-01 20:16

I one hundred percent agree with this!

I don't vibe with people who claim that Tony and Steve were friends, as in my view they were NEVER friends. But then again, Americans tend to use that word overly much, where they should more appropriately call each other acquaintances instead of 'friends'. So maybe Tony, with his poor interpersonal skills and dysfunctional social experience, **thought** he was friends with Steve, but I don't believe for a moment that Steve ever thought thought he was friends with Tony.