6 Captain America: Civil War Questions That Avengers: Age Of Ultron Left Us

Avengers: Age of Ultron is now in theaters and in typical Marvel fashion, it's opened the floodgates for speculation on what's coming next in the sprawling and ever-expanding cinematic universe. Next on the docket is Ant-Man in July, but since that film appears to stand alone from the rest of the Phase Two entries and have little impact on the MCU as a whole, our eyes are set on Marvel's next big team-up, 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Civil War has been teased as Avengers 2.5, as it involves many of the franchise's biggest characters and will act as a major jumping off point for several Phase Three storylines like Black Panther and, of course, both Avengers: Infinity War installments. Age of Ultron managed to not only tell a big crossover story, but lay the groundwork for future Marvel films and set the wheels in motion for Civil War. As such, it left us with several burning questions, six of which we've decided to investigate further in the following pages. So, without further ado, here are six big Captain America: Civil War questions that were left by Avengers: Age of Ultron... 6) What's Next For The Hulk? One of the biggest lingering plot threads from Age of Ultron is the fate of Bruce Banner, who was last seen piloting a quinjet away from Sokovia. It's worth noting that he did this while still in Hulk mode, though he did it calmly, as if he was in control of the big green rage monster. We knew that Bruce had a good handle on his transformations (thanks to the "I'm always angry" line in The Avengers), but this is one giant leap toward coexistence that unfortunately went unexplained. We know why Bruce took off in the jet without telling anyone where he was going: he knows that he's a danger those around him, and after the events of the film (especially his very destructive African rampage), he decided to distance himself from Black Widow and the rest of the team. The only question that remains is where did he go and what's next? While Mark Ruffalo is not yet confirmed to appear in Captain America: Civil War, he did recently hint that he'll be smashing his way back to the MCU with the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes when that film hits next May. If he does come back, what role will he play? Will we merely touch base with him, or will he come out of hiding to join sides with Tony Stark or Steve Rogers? It was recently confirmed that The Incredible Hulk's William Hurt will return as General "Thunderbolt" Ross, could he be spending his bit of screentime hunting down the Hulk once more? It doesn't look like we'll be getting to Planet Hulk anytime soon (if at all), so right now, the sky literally is the limit for what's next for the big green guy. 5) What's Going On With S.H.I.E.L.D.? When last we saw S.H.I.E.L.D. on the big screen, it had been taken down by Cap, Black Widow, Falcon and Nick Fury in order to eradicate HYDRA, which had slowly taken over the organization from the inside after World War II. While S.H.I.E.L.D. is still alive and well on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with Coulson at its head, nothing on the television series has managed to make it to the big screen, leaving a big question mark over the current status of the once-powerful organization. In what may amount to be one of the biggest moments of deus ex machina in film history, Nick Fury is seen arriving in a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier just as Sokovia needs to be evacuated, with Maria Hill and a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents ready to lend a hand. What does this mean for the organization going forward? Will it rise once more, and take prominence in Civil War? Would the world (and Steve Rogers) even trust S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events of The Winter Soldier? Only time will tell. 4) Will We See A Vision/Scarlet Witch Romance? Age of Ultron contains a very subtle hint of a future romance between Scarlet Witch and the Vision, as the newborn android whisks the new Avenger to safety during the climactic Sokovia battle. It probably means nothing to casual audiences, but comic book readers know that it may be a seed that blossoms into the full-blown romance that the two share in the comics. Will moviegoers accept such a romance if it were to unfold on screen? The Vision has emerged as an audience favorite, meaning that people have already accepted him for what he is. Adding a romance on top of his already high-concept existence probably wouldn't do too much damage and could actually add some depth to his character by showing his conflicting human and robotic sides. Hell, if people were accepting of a Hulk/Black Widow pairing, then why couldn't this work? 3) Where Is The Winter Soldier? Speaking of The Winter Soldier, where is that eponymous assassin, anyway? During Age of Ultron's Avengers Tower party scene, Falcon informs Cap that he's still working on his "missing persons case," meaning that he's been looking for Bucky while Cap and the rest of the Avengers have been shutting down HYDRA outposts. When last we saw him, Bucky was visiting the Smithsonian's Captain America exhibit. Where did he go from there? And better yet, how does he fit into Civil War? It's a question that we didn't expect answered in Age of Ultron, but one burning question that the film left us with all the same. 2) Will Destruction In Age Of Ultron Act As A Civil War Catalyst? We know that the catalyst for Civil War will be the initiation of the Superhero Registration Act, which causes the Avengers to split into two factions as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers stand on opposite sides of the issue. What we don't know is what causes the law to go into motion in the first place, though one viewing of Age of Ultron provides quite a few clues. Like Man of Steel, Age of Ultron features a lot of collateral damage at the hands of the titular heroes. And, like Man of Steel's sequel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War will deal with the fallout and aftermath of that destruction head on. Judging by what's been happening in the MCU for the last few installments, the world probably isn't happy with the Avengers and feels threatened by the sudden emergence of powerful threats and devastating superhero battles. The Invasion of New York, the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hulk's rampage in Africa and Sokovia's destruction are all big, world-changing events that force ordinary citizens to ask tough questions of those who've sworn to protect them. So, really, it's inevitable that the world's governments would take action. Hulk's African rampage could also be part of what draws Black Panther into the fray; the Avengers were close to Wakanda at the time (while on the hunt for Ulysses Klaw and his vibranium), so could T'Challa come out of the woodwork because they brought the fight so close to home? 1) Which Sides Do The Avengers Choose? The biggest question about Civil War is not what causes the big rift in the team, but what factions the Avengers will divide into once it happens. At the end of Age of Ultron, the team roster had shifted dramatically, as Cap and Black Widow are the only two original members still active. Tony Stark has unplugged himself from the Iron Man suit (for now), Thor has returned to Asgard (where he'll likely stay while Civil War takes place, as he prepares for Thor: Ragnarok), Hawkeye has gone back to his family and the Hulk is on the lam. In their place are the Vision, Scarlet Witch, War Machine and Falcon. Once Cap and Iron man face off, however, who will join who? Black Widow will likely stay loyal to Cap, as will Falcon, but Rhodey (an officer in the military, mind you) will probably take Tony's side. Hawkeye, Vision and Scarlet Witch are wildcards, as is Black Panther, who will make his debut in Civil War (and will reportedly face off with Hawkeye, meaning they're probably not on the same side). Since Age of Ultron ends on a bit of a happy note, it's anyone's guess as to which sides our Avengers will choose once the chips fall. And if the other 11 films in Marvel's library are any indication, we're in for quite a few surprises when Civil War hits theaters on May 6th, 2016.