The most iconic titular movie duos
We all know some of the iconic duos out there — from peanut butter and jelly to Simon and Garfunkel to, well, the duos from films. In fact, there are duos in movies that are so intertwined that they are named right in the title of the film. The history of movies is filled with titular duos, and these are the most iconic of those duos.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
First, it was just Ant-Man. Only Scott Lang got title billing in the first film featuring the superhero in the MCU. Then, Hope Van Dyne as the Wasp joined in on the fun for the sequel. Ant-Man and the Wasp remain in the title for the third film as they prepare to battle Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Bill and Ted
What Bill and Ted lack in intelligence and skill, they make up for with enthusiasm. We met them as high schoolers on an adventure through time (an excellent adventure, to be specific), and then we followed Bill and Ted on a bogus journey and saw them face the music in middle age.
Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise only got one movie together, and with the ending to Thelma & Louise, that was always going to be the case. That ending was parodied by another iconic duo, Wayne and Garth, but that movie is called Wayne’s World 2. Garth could never get titular billing.
Bonnie and Clyde
The real-life bank robbers are at the forefront of an important film in American cinema. Many cite Bonnie and Clyde as the dawn of a new era in film that set aside the Hays Code for good and brought European-style violence and sexuality to the screen.
Cheech and Chong
Granted, there is no movie simply called “Cheech and Chong,” and the titles are more in the vein of the comedy duo almost presenting the story, like National Lampoon. We’re talking Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie and titles in that vein. Having said that, the duo is technically in the title, and we had to include them.
Tango and Cash
It’s a goofy action movie, but a name like Tango & Cash will stick in people’s minds. Plus, Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone are the stars. It’s pure cheesy action but in the best way.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Another real duo and another beloved 1960s film. It was the first pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who would reunite for the Best Picture-winning The Sting. Some argue Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid should have also won that award. It at least earned the honor of being on this list.
Turner and Hooch
The first duo that isn’t fully human. Turner is a cop played by Tom Hanks. Hooch is, well, a dog. However, Hanks doesn’t mind sharing billing with a dog, and in the film, Turner comes to warm up to Hooch.
Harold and Maude
An oddball pairing, if there ever was one. Harold is a young man obsessed with death. Maude is an older woman in love with life. Together, they find a spark in this cult favorite featuring a decidedly unexpected duo.
Harold and Kumar
How weird is it that two different iconic titular movie duos include a “Harold"? It’s not exactly “John” as a name! This duo, like Cheech and Chong, are stoner favorites, whether going to White Castle or escaping Guantanamo Bay.
Lilo and Stitch
One human, one alien, one successful Disney film. At the time, Lilo & Stitch was thought of as a lesser film for Disney that they made on a lower budget and with less time to work on it to get a movie into theaters. Then, it turned out to be a big hit that outpaced Disney’s big swing at animation in 2002, Treasure Planet.
Abbott and Costello
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were always meeting somebody, usually a horror character from the Universal family. Be it Frankenstein, the Mummy, or the Invisible Man, you could count on Abbott and Costello to bring the “comedy” to these “horror comedies” that were, admittedly, light on horror.
Wallace and Gromit
Nick Park’s clay duo of an odd man and his smart dog is idiosyncratic and also quite British. The one time the two got a real chance at a feature-length film was Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. It ended up winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, so clearly, it worked.
Lady and the Tramp
Beauty and the Beast doesn’t technically count, as her name is “Belle,” not “Beauty,” but Lady and the Tramp makes the cut. The one duo on this list where both parts are animals, these two dogs from different worlds, at the very least, share a memorable plate of spaghetti.
Hobbs and Shaw
When Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson could no longer stand to work alongside each other, Johnson’s Hobbs was moved out of the main Fast and Furious series. Ah, but is the joke really on Diesel? After all, Hobbs got to be a titular character alongside Jason Statham’s Shaw. Toretto has never been so lucky.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
If we were going to have one married couple on the line, this one would make the most sense. Part of that is the fact Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were both huge movie stars. Another part, of course, is the off-screen aspects of this story. Memorably, the two massive actors got together romantically while playing the married assassins in this action-comedy film. They've since divorced.
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