If you’re wondering which celebrity couple is better, it really depends on what you want out of a couple. Are you looking for a little spark that will inevitably turn into a flame? Do you want to be best friends forever? Do you want to grow old together, side by side (or more importantly, hip-to-hip)?

If you’re thinking about becoming parents, do you want to do it quickly and painlessly, or do you want to savor every moment?

Let’s take a look.

Friendship

The most important thing to consider when comparing the two is their friendship, or lack thereof. While Charlie and Andrew certainly share a romantic connection, it’s not like they’re buds. Or for the most part, at least. They’ve spent a lot of time together over the years, but their relationship can best be described as frosty. They don’t appear to have much in common outside of work, and it’s clear that their on-set dynamic is nothing like being best friends off-set. It might not even be close to being brothers, either.

Over the past year, they’ve both been very open about their rocky relationship, and it seems like they’re even taking steps to better it – namely, by being more candid about their feelings. In an interview with Vogue, Andrew described the tension between them as, “genuine, healthy, and good for both of us.”

In fact, Charlie even said that he thinks their on-screen chemistry is REAL off-screen chemistry, and he described their bickering on the set as “just part of the process.” So while they may not have been best friends before this journey, it’s clear that they have a strong connection that goes beyond just the romance.

Will They Last?

It’s also important to consider whether or not this is a lasting relationship. The trailer for Joker explicitly states that the film is for “theatre-goers and those looking for a story with a happy ending,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it has one. In fact, the Hollywood Reporter notes that Warner Bros. is planning on making at least two more Joker films, which would make this a trilogy.

Whether or not audiences will stick around for the ultimate showdown between Batman and Joker is still unclear, and it’s very much dependent on how great the ­first installment is. For now, it’s still just a shot in the dark, but at least we know where they’re coming from now.

Romance

Not to be confused with their friendship, the romance between Charlie and Andrew is certainly apparent in the trailers for Joker. The footage shows a lot of playful banter and a spark that seems to ignite whenever they’re around each other. Most notably, in one scene, Charlie is seen pulling Andrew’s shirt off of his head, essentially trying to kiss him (and failing). Whether or not this is just a publicity stunt is unclear.

Even the most ardent fans of Charlie and Andrew know that they’ve been involved for a long time, and that their on-screen chemistry is no accident. Back in 2015, Charlie stated in an interview that he had been trying to get into acting for years and that he finally found his calling in movies. In the same interview, he described his romantic connection to Andrew as, “just something that happened.”

It seems like this is more than just a fling for Charlie, who is clearly having fun with the role. In a 2016 interview with The Independent, he discussed how important it was to him to play a character with depth, and he continued, “It makes it more fun to play a part that you feel like you can take more seriously. I think that’s what attracted me to the role.”

It would be a bit much to expect an actor to go through life without having fun, but at least Andrew seems to be taking this relationship seriously. As we’ve seen in the trailers for Joker, he clearly has feelings for Charlie and is willing to commit to the act of love. Whether or not he’s being truly honest about them is another story, but he seems like he’s at least trying to make this work. While not every romance in Hollywood ends happily, at least we know that this one does.

Parenthood

If you’re thinking about the poster child for the dreaded “It” generation, you’re probably wondering whether or not Charlie and Andrew will end up together. Similar to their off-screen dynamic, their on-set relationship is nothing like a traditional BFF trip to the movies. In fact, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Charlie compared their dynamic to that of a TV sitcom and revealed that they’ve both taken steps to change their relationship for the better:

  • They’ve been having therapy to work out their problems.
  • They’ve both been open about their struggles with addiction. (Andrew to Vogue, “I’ve had a lot of therapy over the years — mostly because my friends know how much I love talking about myself. It wasn’t until recently that I finally realized this was a problem. Now I realize that the people I love are the people that I hurt.”)
  • They’ve been trying to spend as much time together off-screen as possible. (As previously stated, Charlie was in an addiction-recovery program, and he credits this time to Andrew in an interview with Vogue.)
  • They’ve both been very open about the fact that they’re not always going to be there for each other.

It would be great to see these two lead lives full of love and happiness, but we mustn’t forget about the fact that they’re celebrities. It’s not every day that a couple decides to make parenting a priority and builds a life together. There will always be cameras around to capture their every move, and their personal lives will become semi-public. This is one area where they could really mess up if they’re not careful.

For now, it seems like they’re willing to take the chance and are 100% committed to each other. When asked about their long-term plans in an interview with People, Andrew responded, “Well, I think, ultimately, our goal is to spend the rest of our lives together and raise a family. I think that’s the natural progression.”

If that’s the case, then more power to them. While we may not always like their choices, at least they’re making the right ones.