The little guy appears around the 35-second mark and he immediately joins the canon of Marvel’s greatest characters. Does he have a name? Not yet. Does he have a purpose? Unclear. Is he a cutie? You better believe it, bud. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always operated under the mantra of giving people what they want. For the first decade of its existence that meant introducing dozens of iconic Marvel comic characters and having them crossover in one another’s movies, creating an exciting and comprehensive cinematic universe. Of late, however, Marvel appears to have realized that an action-packed canon isn’t the only thing film-goers and TV-watchers desire. They also want some nice animals. The feline-appearing flerken Goose delighted Nick Fury and audiences alike in 2019’s Captain Marvel. Two years before that, the giant bulldog Lockjaw was the most beloved (and perhaps only tolerable) part of Marvel TV venture Inhumans. Well, since the Loki trailer offers up a good excuse to think about such a silly hypothetical (and because it’s still an excruciating two months before the show premieres), let’s figure out the dog people and cat people of the MCU. Loki Cat Person – Loki does not seem particularly interested in the cat at the Time Variance Authority office. Paradoxically that makes him even more of a cat person. Steve RogersDog Person – But only golden retrievers. Tony StarkCat Person – Stephen Strange once fairly commented that Tony likes to be surrounded by people who work for him. He would therefore find the loyalty dogs appealing but ultimately pooches are too messy for his workshop. Plus, the allure of speaking down to a cat and receiving a blank response is a strong one. Bruce BannerDog Person – This is tough as Banner in the earlier MCU installments would likely steer clear of dogs…or at least he should. They’re simply too excitable and he can’t risk raising his heartrate to dangerous Hulk levels. It’s calls into question the canonical bona fides of The Incredible Hulk then, that Edward Norton’s banner hangs out with a dog in Brazil named Ricky. Post-Edward Norton, the self-actualized, in-control version of Banner from Avengers: Endgame, can certainly embrace his Dog Person potential. Natasha RomanoffCat Person – Black Widow is absolutely into black cats. Natasha even has a little buddy named Liho in the comics. Clint BartonDog Person – See the aforementioned Pizza Dog. Nick FuryCat Person – Sure, a flerken cost Nick Fury his eye but I’m sure he’d still give up his other one to pet Goose again. Sam Wilson and Bucky BarnesDog People – As longtime followers of Steve Rogers, Sam and Bucky can’t help but identify with loyal hounds…even if Bucky has a cat named Alpine in the comics. The Vision Dog Person – The Vision is highly interested in humanity and what makes us tick. And I’d like to think as a species we’re more akin to happy-go-lucky dogs than aloof and mysterious cats. Just keep ol’ Sparky away from Agatha! James “Rhodey” RhodesDog Person – As a military man, Rhodey doesn’t spend enough time at home to appreciate a good cat. Peter Parker Dog Person – While Tom Holland’s Spider-Man hasn’t interacted with many animals yet, it’s only a matter of time before the MCU gets its Sandwich. Carol Danvers Cat Person – Goose! Scott Lang Dog Person – Paul Rudd is nothing if not an excitable pup. Plus, cats would certainly pose a bigger threat to Ant-Man. T’ChallaCat Person – Well, yeah. Doctor StrangeDog Person – The Stephen Strange of Marvel comics has a doggie familiar named Bats. It seems as though Benedict Cumberbatch would have decent chemistry with a basset hound as well. ThanosCat Person – Cats are perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
