There are rarely obvious plot points in The Conjuring movies that are carried forward from one entry to the next, with the series instead relying on character development, foreshadowing, and expanding on hints given in the previous movie to play out in the sequel.
Ed and Lorraine’s conflict against the Occultist in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It saw the demonologist couple successfully getting Arne Johnson’s prison sentence reduced. While that particular story might be over, there are still plenty of takeaways from the third installment that should be of importance in the sequel in regards the characters and notable events.
Lorraine's Lack Of Control Of Her Powers
Most of the scary scenes in The Conjuring 3 had to do with Lorraine either reliving what happened or looking at things from the point of view of the Occultist. Unlike previous movies, this had a highly negative effect on Lorraine, so much so that she took on the role of the murderer when tapping into these moments.
The next movie is likely to explore Lorraine’s lack of control of her abilities, as it’s been teased for some time that she can lose herself completely unless she’s snapped out of her trance. The Conjuring 3 brought this as one of its main points to be resolved in the future.
Ed's Failing Health
The demon summoned by the Occultist attacked Ed at the beginning of the movie to trigger a heart attack, from which he continued to suffer throughout the movie. The ending showed that he needed to rely on his medication from now on, with Lorraine looking out for him if he forgot it.
This has set up the sequel to focus on the toll that fighting spirits has taken on Ed, as he wasn’t fully healthy again by the conclusion of The Conjuring 3. With Ed also suffering injuries in previous movies, the third installment has now turned this into a notable aspect that the sequel will have to address.
The Workings Of The Disciples Of The Ram Cult
The Disciples of the Ram Cult are supposedly still active in The Conjuring universe, as Father Kastner alluded to them. The cult was seen in both Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation as the ones who had brought the Annabelle doll demon to the world and intended to bring more.
The Occultist was along the same line, as she promised the demon in her control victims to possess. This makes the cult far too recurring not to be touched upon in The Conjuring 4, especially since Father Kastner directly mentioned them.
Larger Backstory Of Ed And Lorraine's Past
In the climax of the movie, Lorraine reminded the possessed Ed of their love by telling him that they were strongest together. It featured flashbacks to their youth during their first date, which is a continuation of the series’ practice of adding more to their backstory.
The Conjuring 2 had shown Ed and Lorraine dancing to their song, with the third part now playing out their romance in youth onscreen. This sets up the fourth movie to take another step further by showing Ed and Lorraine as young demonologists around the time they got married.
The Backstory Of The Occultist
There were a lot of things about the Occultist that were left hanging, such as how she became a witch and her progression toward acquiring the knowledge to summon and control the demon. Father Kastner only mentioned this in passing, but it was a hint toward a larger story.
It’s likely that the fourth movie will dive into how the Occultist got to acquire her power, with Ed and Lorraine investigating a larger scheme that involves more like the Occultist. This can play out much like Valak’s story did, as he was alluded to in The Conjuring and fully showed up in The Conjuring 2.
Drew's Growing Role In Helping The Warrens
Drew was at his most competent in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, being the one to prevent the hallucinating Ed from killing Lorraine, finding the way to beat the Occultist, and pinpointing the villain’s location.
The fourth movie is certain to move further with this by placing Drew in a bigger role as he’s enjoyed a constant role in the series from the first movie and become far more efficient since then. The Conjuring 3 has established Drew’s importance, with the follow-up set to feature him as part of the main action.
Lorraine's Communication With The Deceased
The Conjuring had shown bits of Lorraine’s precognitive abilities, which became a main point in The Conjuring 2 against Valek. Much the same, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It had Lorraine display the power to interact with others through her powers that should be part of the main story in the next movie.
This was teased in Lorraine’s lighthearted conversation with Sergeant Clay, where she claimed she had spoken to Elvis Presley’s ghost, only for this ability to show up when she spoke to the Occultist through her powers and The Conjuring 4 is well placed to make use of this ability as well.
Ed And Lorraine's Increasing Codependency
The release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It had fans celebrating for the most part, but many noted that Ed and Lorraine were far too codependent this time around. To this end, the sequel can fully explore how the Warrens can’t do their jobs without one another and their attempts to overcome their protectiveness.
The real Ed and Lorraine remained together until the former died, although Lorraine lived for another good decade or so. The Conjuring 4 can look into the couple realizing that their codependency may get out of hand and resolve to make peace with the idea of either one of them passing away.
The Warrens' New Association With Law Enforcement
The Conjuring showed the Warrens becoming acquainted with Father Gordon, who has become a recurring aspect of the series. The Conjuring 3 brought in Sergeant Clay, as he turned from a skeptic into a believer after Lorraine solved the case Clay was trying to close by finding the deceased girl’s body.
This has established Sergeant Clay as a character with law enforcement connections who can assist the Warrens in the next movie. He was shown sitting by the cliff where Lorraine had found the girl’s body, confirming his newfound faith in Lorraine’s powers and he can appear in the sequel as an ally.
Ed And Lorraine's Resolve To Continue Working As Demonologists
This is the most important aspect of each The Conjuring universe movie, as there are a number of cases still remaining from the days of the real Ed and Lorraine. The ending of the series will be certain when an installment features the couple deciding they’re done, and since this didn’t happen in The Conjuring 3, a sequel feels definite.
Within the story, the Warrens agreed that their love was strong enough for them to withstand the forces of evil and they didn’t intend to give up. Ed’s gesture of bringing a replica of the gazebo the two had their first date was a way to confirm that the couple’s resolve was strengthened after the events of the third movie.