Avengers: Endgame didn’t just wrap up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) third phase, but it also brought the Avengers as we know them to an end. While this may not spell the end for Marvel movies, it does bring the comic giant’s current generation of superhero stories to a close. However, this also leaves a bunch of unanswered questions and unresolved plot threads in its wake.
While none of these are plot holes, they leave a lot of strange implications and unintentional mysteries that fans have been analyzing for years on end. As Marvel’s next wave of superhero tales approaches, here are 10 questions about the MCU that we hope are answered or at least addressed in the upcoming Phase 4.
What Exactly Is The Quantum Realm?
The Ant-Man movies and Endgame make a big deal out of the Quantum Realm, which is a plane between planes of existence. Here, time works differently and our established laws of physics are irrelevant.
Thing is, not even the MCU’s biggest brains know what goes on in the Realm. For some reason, prolonged stay in the Quantum Realm gave Janet van Dyne healing powers while Scott Lang’s five-year exile in there felt like 30 minutes to him. The laws of the Quantum Realm are currently ill-defined, making its presence infuriatingly confusing yet intriguing.
Is HYDRA Still Around?
Following their near-total defeat in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Nazi splinter group HYDRA has been popping every now and then in the MCU. By the time of Captain America: Civil War, the global conspiracy has been reduced to scattered remnants who Helmut Zemo hunts down.
The big question isn’t just “Is HYDRA still active?” but if they even pose a threat in their weakened condition. It’s not impossible for them to stage a resurgence, although it’ll have to be incredibly convincing to work both within the MCU and for fans.
How Did SHIELD Come Back?
Thanks to the revelation that SHIELD was compromised by HYDRA in The Winter Soldier, the global security agency was left in tatters even if Capt. America won the day. But just one movie later, SHIELD was back in action. Also, they’re probably in space, as teased by Spider-Man: Far From Home.
How exactly the agency restructured so quickly has yet to be addressed, especially since The Winter Soldier ended with Nick Fury hunting the remaining sleeper agents. SHIELD’s sudden comeback is basically an entire movie’s worth of story and action that’s missing from the current MCU canon.
Are The Sokovia Accords Still In Effect?
The central conflict of Civil War was the implementation of the Sokovia Accords: a set of laws that effectively turns the Avengers into government lackeys following a disastrous mission. Long story short, the Avengers can’t do anything without government approval.
By the time of Infinity War, The Accords are still active but they’re ineffective at best. Following the events of Endgame, The Accords would only hinder heroes whenever they’re needed most. However, this may be addressed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier where government powers play a part in deciding Capt. America’s successor.
What Happened To The Hulk’s Enemies?
With the exception of Gen. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the MCU makes almost no mention of The Incredible Hulk. Which is a waste, since the movie featured Hulk’s famous adversary The Abomination and the man who would become The Leader.
In the comics, the two are major threats that even the Avengers have a hard time dealing with, but their cinematic appearances barely made a scratch. Since Gen. Ross is still around, it’s possible that these villains are being saved for the Thunderbolts’ (a government-sanctioned black-ops team of villains) theorized live-action debut.
Who Hired Sonny Burch?
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, many factions want Hank Pym’s lab for themselves, with one group being that of the career criminal and crappy restaurant owner Sonny Burch. While he may not really care for the science of shrinking and enlarging, Sonny was to be paid handsomely by an unseen benefactor in exchange for Hank’s discoveries.
It’s been theorized that either HYDRA remnants or Norman Osborn hired Sonny, although the movie offers no clues as to who Sonny answers to. Whoever hired Sonny and company really wanted those Pym Particles as soon as possible.
Where Is Lady Sif?
For (mostly) better or worse, Thor: Ragnarok burned all bridges it had to the previous Thor movies, not only by destroying Asgard but by killing Thor’s supporting characters, including The Warrior’s Three. The sole survivor of the previous movies is Lady Sif, who was apparently banished by Odin (aka Loki) before the events of Ragnarok.
Lady Sif was last seen in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where she helped Coulson capture a rogue Asgardian. Whether or not Lady Sif will return is currently unknown but if Jane Foster’s comeback is anything to go by, we may be in for a surprise.
What Happened To Trevor?
Iron Man 3’s controversial “real” Mandarin –a junkie named Trevor cosplaying a terrorist leader – was a twist so bad that it was retconned in the short film All Hail the King. In this bonus feature on the Thor: The Dark World Blu-ray DVD, the actual Mandarin sends his agents to capture Trevor so he can be taught a lesson.
Now that the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings confirm that there is indeed a real Mandarin who controls The Ten Rings, Trevor’s currently off-screen fate can only be painful at best.
Are Any Of The TV Shows Canon?
One of the biggest announcements in Marvel’s D23 panel was a line-up of MCU-adjacent series exclusive for Disney+. As exciting as this may be, it leaves the fates of all prior Marvel shows up in the air.
From Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to the ongoing Runaways to Netflix’s entire Marvel library that included The Defenders and The Punisher, it’s unclear if any of these are part of the greater MCU canon. Making matters tougher for Marvel are the canceled shows’ dangling threads, which left fans without a proper conclusion. How Marvel moves forward from here has yet to be seen.
What’s Next For Spider-Man?
The MCU’s third phase ended with one hell of a cliffhanger when Mysterio revealed Spider-Man’s identity and framed him for murder. Not only does Peter Parker have to deal with growing pains and being Tony Stark’s legacy, but now he has to clear his name before things get worse.
But thanks to a complicated copyright battle between Disney and Sony, Spider-Man’s fate may not be revealed for the foreseeable future. Apparently, Spider-Man’s biggest concern right now is joining forces with Venom – an alien Symbiote that’s a loser on its planet whose human host is an eccentric Tom Hardy.