AIM could be the secret villain of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Marvel Studios will begin a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Phase 4, and not just because the Infinity Saga is over. Disney+ will be the home to multiple live-action shows made by the movie empire built by Kevin Feige, and each will be heavily tied to the ongoing MCU narrative - unlike most recent Marvel TV shows.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was originally scheduled to be the start of this initiative, but its planned fall 2020 release was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whenever the show does arrive on Disney+ now, viewers will see Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) step into leading roles. They will take on larger roles in the MCU in the absence of Steve Rogers, with Falcon set to become the new Captain America. But his claim for the title will be challenged through the introduction of John Walker (Wyatt Russell). He has already been positioned somewhat as a villain, but there's also a belief that Hydra could be involved.
Hydra has always been a big part of Captain America stories in the comics, so the speculation surrounding the organization's possible return in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is understandable. There's even the return of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), who isn't part of Hydra in the MCU but does have deep ties to it in the comics. One other driving factor in the belief that Hydra could play a role in the series came from footage released by Disney, which at first glance appeared to tease Hydra agents in classic comic costumes. However, a closer look at the footage and the MCU's future may point to AIM being involved instead.
AIM's History In The MCU
The organization AIM - or Advanced Idea Mechanics - was introduced to the MCU in 2013 during Iron Man 3. In the MCU timeline, Alrich Killian conceived of the idea for AIM in 1999 and wanted to work with Tony Stark to bring the think tank to life. However, Tony spurned Killian on a meeting, leaving him to resent the future superhero. The two were reunited over a decade later when Killian and AIM began showing the possibilities of their technology, including Extremis. Killian was secretly the man behind the propaganda featuring a fake version of The Mandarin, and sought to destroy Tony Stark's life.
Despite the plans Killian had for AIM, the organization went quiet following the events of Iron Man 3. Killian was killed by Pepper Potts, and he had murdered AIM's top scientist Maya Hansen before that. Their involvement with the Mandarin terrorist attacks and kidnapping the President of the United States wouldn't help their future either. All signs could point to AIM no longer existing, but they could've been quietly regrouping ahead of a possible return in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Falcon & Winter Soldier May Have Teased AIM Agents
A full trailer for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has not yet been released, but Disney and Marvel did release some footage at the beginning of 2020. One quick moment in the MCU Disney+ hype teaser showed an action scene featuring multiple paragliders. At first there was some thought that these wingsuits were green and yellow, and a sign that this could be Hydra. However, upon a closer look at the footage it is clear that these suits are black and yellow. While the color scheme could be a coincidence, these are the primary colors of AIM. Normally, yellow is their main color and black the secondary, but Marvel Studios could have reversed this to make them a bit more practical. So, if the colored suits are purposeful and these paragliders are important to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's story, then we might have already seen AIM agents in action.
What AIM Could Want In Falcon & Winter Soldier
If AIM is the villain of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, this raises the question of what the organization could be up to. With the Disney+ series taking place after Avengers: Endgame, it has been a decade since AIM was last heard from in-universe. That leaves them (and us) with a lot of time to plot their future and get in position to cause some trouble in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Unlike Stark Industries or Hammer Industries, AIM's interests are more science-based instead of weapons, even if they still want to collect power in the long run.
For The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, one of the few plot points that has been confirmed is the reactivation of the super-soldier program. Footage shown to Disney shareholders had Bucky question Zemo about the resurgence of the program and it is believed to be how John Walker becomes physically suited to replace Captain America. The manufacturing of a new super-soldier serum is exactly the type of research AIM could be interested in spearheading. They could secretly have a hand in the creation of the new Captain America then and even have power over him (and others) to do as they want.
How AIM's Involvement Impacts The MCU
Looking forward to various points of the MCU's future, there's a chance that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is an early sign of AIM's growing prominence. While the organization's role in the upcoming Disney+ series is purely speculation at this point, there is some possible evidence to suggest AIM will have a role in Black Widow. The trailers appeared to feature Yelena Belova, the future Black Widow, on an operating table with "A.I.M." labeled on some equipment. In the comics, AIM built robots known as Super-Adaptoids and even turned Yelena into Adaptoid for a time. This has led to speculation that AIM could turn Yelena into Adaptoid by the end of Black Widow potentially.
There are also rumors that AIM will have a role in Ant-Man 3. The sequel is currently in development at Marvel Studios and MODOK might be the film's villain. There's even some speculation that he could be "The Benefactor" mentioned in Ant-Man and The Wasp who was interested in Hank Pym's research, such as Pym Particles. MODOK is the leader of AIM throughout the comics and the possibility of him appearing in Ant-Man 3 would surely mean the organization would appear too. This would make a third upcoming MCU project that could include AIM.
The return of AIM in this capacity could indicate that they are a big part of what Marvel Studios is planning. And even though their involvement is still unconfirmed, the possible projects and roles might tip off why. They could have ties to a new Captain America, an enhanced Black Widow, and have the means to create a new Ant-Man if they replicate Pym Particles. AIM could even be behind the creation of Red Hulk. If this is what AIM is up to, it points to them potentially creating their own version of the Avengers. Marvel Studios could even have them be behind the formation of the Thunderbolts. Of course, this is still somewhat dependent on AIM appearing in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in the first place, and hopefully it won't be too long before we get to see the show and find out.