The Marvel movie and television universe is just entering a brand new phase—and things just got a lot more interesting. We saw the first Captain America: Civil War trailer
As we continue to digest Jessica Jones and patiently wait for Phase Three in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we came up with these burning questions about what we have coming up both on the big screen—and the small screen, too.
Spoilers for all Marvel movies and TV shows below.
When do the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron reach Hell’s Kitchen?
In the trailer for Captain America: Civil War, we see a document called the Sokovia Accords, which we assume is the international agreement to govern superheroes that sets off the battle between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Jessica Jones also shows that, in Hell’s Kitchen, people are still very upset about the events of The Avengers. But there’s no mention in Jessica Jones of the events in Sokovia (the city that was ripped from the Earth in Age of Ultron)—so you have to wonder if that’ll play a role in Luke Cage and, if so, how important it could be?
What is IGH and will it expand beyond Jessica Jones?
Kilgrave is the “big bad” in season one of Jessica Jones—but, by the end, another major threat gets set up, in the form of the evil corporation IGH. It’s hinted they may have helped give Jessica her powers, and they definitely have some kind of pill that grants soldiers temporary superpowers. Those are some pretty big claims–Howard Stark-type stuff–so it raises several questions. Will IGH only play into Jessica Jones season 2? Will it carry over into Luke Cage? Be a job for The Defenders, or maybe even spill into the movies? I’m sure the next set of faceless enemies that the members of the Avengers end up facing would love that kind of technology.
How did Jessica and Luke get their powers?
There’s a hint that IGH could be behind the powers Jessica Jones and maybe even Luke Cage have, but we really don’t know. What we do know is that the show stuck pretty close to Jessica’s origin with one major exception: the radiation that was spilled during her parent’s car accident. We’ll surely learn more about this as each show moves forward, but if a company can make people powerful in a lab, that would put their creations in the same category as Hulk and Captain America.
When will Daredevil become aware of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage?
The end of Jessica Jones, she and Luke meet up with Claire Temple, played by Rosario Dawson, the night nurse of Daredevil. She tries to make a connection, but it doesn’t happen—so now you have to wonder when these local superheroes will meet up, and what that means for the larger picture.
How large a role will Jessica Jones have in Luke Cage?
Luke Cage was a major player in Jessica Jones. So you have to think, if they’re still friends, she’d also play a role in his show. How significant will it be? We do not know.
How will the Captain America/Iron Man feud resolve?
The trailer for Captain America: Civil War shows the Avengers splintered in half over their beliefs regarding superhero governance. What it doesn’t show—and we won’t know until May—is what that feud does to superheroes in the Marvel universe at large. Will they continue to be at odds, moving ahead? Will it result in the death of a character? There’s no Captain America 4 or Iron Man 4 on the schedule yet, but Robert Downey Jr. is signed for the next Avengers film. Either way, it seems likely the fallout of this movie will be crucial to the other Marvel movies.
How effective will the new Avengers be?
Whether they are split in half or fighting together, the new Avengers do not have the experience of the former Avengers. They also don’t have–for now–the godlike strength of either Thor or Hulk. This could certainly be a window for some major league bad guys to make a move against Earth.
Where is Hulk?
Speaking of Hulk, last we saw him he was floating away in a S.H.I.E.L.D plane. We thought he might just go into hiding—but we now know that Mark Ruffalo will appear in Thor: Ragnarok, meaning that he’s somehow going to make it out into the cosmos. We have no idea how that’s going to happen, or when, but it should be interesting. (Random guess? End credits of Civil War.)
What is Loki up to?
The biggest, baddest, Marvel baddie of them all is still lurking, and as the hidden ruler of Asgard no less. Loki undoubtedly still has a part to play in whatever comes next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—the only question is what is it and will it extended beyond the next Thor film.
Where are the other Infinity Gems?
As of the start of Phase 3, we know the location of four Infinity gems. That leaves two still out there, and a pair of films called “Infinity War” coming up. It seems pretty safe to assume some of the upcoming movies (Thor 3, Guardians 2 and Doctor Strange being the most likely) will deal with their whereabouts, especially in regards to one particular character: Thanos.
What exactly does Thanos plan on doing?
The man best known for wielding the Infinity Gauntlet currently has zero Infinity gems in his possession, despite multiple attempts to the contrary. However, after Ultron failed to destroy the earth, we saw Thanos again, making the ominous declaration that he’ll “do it himself.” Do what himself, and when? We don’t know, but I think Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and maybe some of their intergalactic companions, better watch out.
Who is Star Lord’s father?
Last week, rumors were flying about the identity of Star Lord’s father. Turns out, those rumors were false, and we still don’t know. What we do know is that reveal is going to play a key role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. That film probably won’t feature any Avengers—but it will certainly have ramifications for whatever happens with those characters, maybe also in the form of Infinity gems.
How does Spider-Man fit into all of this?
One of the biggest pieces of news in the past few months was Spider-Man officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’ll appear first in Captain America: Civil War, and then get his own solo movie. But in the movies themselves, will Spider-Man be off on his own? He’s in New York after all, the same place as Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Luke Cage, but he’s also going to be hanging—pun intended—with Iron Man and Captain America. The crossover possibilities are endless with this character, and we have no idea what the plan is.
Why isn’t Wasp in Civil War?
Another huge piece of recent Marvel news is the fact the Wasp will star in the sequel to Ant-Man. We know Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is appearing in Civil War and we know why, on paper, Wasp isn’t there (Marvel President Kevin Feige said she was too important to introduce as a side character along with a bunch of other previously established characters). Still, there will need to be some kind in-universe explanation of her absence, too. Maybe she’s getting Pym Tech back in order.
What’s up with The Winter Soldier/Bucky?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ended with Captain America and The Falcon on the hunt for Bucky aka The Winter Soldier. Avengers: Age of Ultron told us they were still looking for him and, with the release of the Civil War trailer, we now know that he gets found, and that he remembers his friendship with Captain America. They also remain friends, after everything that’s happened. He’s long been rumored to be taking over Cap’s shield, so maybe that’s his destiny. Or maybe not.
How will the new Phase 3 heroes and villains play into this series?
All of these questions are ignoring a few key things. Namely Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and the Inhumans. We still have very little idea of how these characters are going to change the Marvel universe—but their movies, and therefore their abilities, are on the horizon.
How will Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D be integrated into Phase Three?
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has been slowly laying the groundwork for lots of potential phase three cross-overs—which means lots of questions. Since this show is the first place to mention the Inhumans, who have a movie that’ll be out in a few years, you have to wonder, where the heck is Black Bolt? What are he and the other leading Inhumans doing, while tons of people are being converted into Inhumans via Terrigenic fish-oil capsules? Why hasn’t he tried to intervene? And what was his connection to the giant day spa where a ton of long-term Inhumans were hanging out last season?
Plus, where is that planet that Jemma Simmons spent months trapped on? Why does Hydra worship an Inhuman who’s stuck there? And most importantly, since it’s somehow connected to the Kree—they built a portal to go there, after all—will it turn out to be important in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
And finally, with the events of Civil War pending, will Daisy need to be registered? Will she and the other Inhumans even be targeted and, if so, will they side with Captain America or Iron Man?
When, or if, will the Netflix characters appear on the big screen, or vice versa?
The Netflix Marvel characters still have a lot of story to tell on their own. There’s Luke Cage, Daredevil season 2, hopefully Iron Fist and - eventually – The Defenders. But at some point a Hell’s Kitchen specific superhero team is going to get the attention of The Avengers, or at least the Webslinger around the corner.
What happens after the Infinity War?
This is the big one, really. With Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 and 2 on the way, we have at least some educated guesses of where Phase Three is going to take us. What we don’ t know is what comes after that—especially since characters like Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel and Black Panther are sure to add some adrenaline to the universe. What could the next end game be? It’s going to take some time to find out.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.