SPOILERS: 10 Frustrating Questions You'll Be Left Asking After Watching CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Captain America: Civil War is quite possibly Marvel's best movie to date, but that doesn't mean it's without a few plot holes or unresolved moments which are sure to drive you mad! These are the ten biggest...
Some of these are just an inevitable part of the way Marvel approaches their movies and the way the stories each of their characters is told over a series of movies, but others could be called plot holes or issues which the team responsible for Captain America: Civil War should have made a greater effort to address. Either way, they'll all be left playing on your mind until they're answered later in Phase 3.
Some of these unanswered questions are more frustrating than others, but get ready to ask them a lot over the coming weeks, months, and possibly even years. If it wasn't already obvious, spoilers for Captain America: Civil War follow, so feel free to bookmark this page and come back to it later!
10. Did Spider-Man Sign The Sokovia Accords?
Tony is definitely pretty protective of Peter, but still doesn't seem to have too many issues about dragging a kid into battle against the far more experienced members of Captain America's Avengers. However, before allowing him to tag along, did Iron Man get his new protégé to sign the Sokovia Accords? After all, it would be somewhat hypocritical of Tony to allow the young hero to web around New York City getting into all sorts of trouble without any supervision, but perhaps that's why he'll show up as a mentor of sorts in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Plus, having Peter reveal his identity to the UN by signing the Sokovia Accords wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, especially as he isn't technically a member of The Avengers. Even so, this plot hole definitely needs to be addressed next year.
9. Is Black Widow Going To Join #TeamCap?
The last time we see Black Widow in Captain America: Civil War, she's telling Iron Man to watch his back when he makes it clear that General Ross is coming after her for helping Steve Rogers and Bucky make their escape. Where she goes next is never revealed, though considering the fact that we don't see the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in The Raft alongside the rest of #TeamCap, she obviously escaped the Secretary of State's clutches.
What's next for Natasha is now a mystery; will she track down Captain America and repair her relationship with him or set out on her own path? It depends on where Marvel intends to use her next, but this feels like a perfect jumping off point for a solo outing for the character. Of course, we know that isn't happening for now, so her fate remains a mystery.
8. Where's Nick Fury And His Helicarrier?
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Nick Fury returned with both a Helicarrier and a loyal squad of former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents by his side, but there's not so much as a single mention of his name in Captain America: Civil War. It's hard to imagine someone like General Ross being overly happy about him circumnavigating the globe in what is essentially a gigantic weapon of mass destruction, something which makes it all the more confusing that Fury plays no sort of role in this conflict.
A reason for his absence definitely needs to be revealed then, and while Kevin Feige has confirmed that the character is going to show up in Phase 3 before Avengers: Infinity War, some insight into why he didn't choose a side and how he feels about the Sokovia Accords should be a priority for the studio to address.
7. Are Captain America's Avengers Hiding Out In Wakanda?
Captain America: Civil War's (slightly underwhelming if we're being 100% honest) mid-credits scene reveals that Steve and Bucky are in Wakanda, with T'Challa more than happy to hide the latter and allow his scientists to try and cure the former Winter Soldier of all that pesky HYDRA programming.
We never see what led to Cap and Black Panther forming an alliance and it's unclear whether this scene takes place before or after he breaks his team of Avengers out of The Raft, hence why it leaves us with so many unanswered questions. Is it just Bucky who will remain in Wakanda or are The Avengers also calling it home for the time being? Is Black Panther going to supply the heroes with the costumes and equipment they no longer have after parting ways with Iron Man? It's left unclear...
6. Is Everett Ross Secretly A Villain?
Captain America: Civil War only really serves as a very brief introduction for Everett Ross, and while it's rumoured that he'll next appear in Black Panther, his motivations remain a mystery to us. He doesn't seem particularly happy with the actions of Captain America and The Falcon, but seems to equally enjoy rubbing Zemo's defeat in his face (unlike General Ross, who it's probably safe to assume was glad to see The Avengers crumble).
However, it was during that chat with Zemo that I couldn't help but feel that there's something sinister about Everett. It felt like he was at any moment going to tell Zemo that if he really wants to destroy Captain America, he needs to follow him, but that never comes. Personally, I'm expecting a Dell Rusk/Red Skull style reveal somewhere in the near future...
5. Is Ant-Man A Fugitive Again Now?
Scott Lang is broken out of The Raft alongside his fellow Avengers, and like them, what happens to him next is unclear. Of course, we know that he'll next shrink down for Ant-Man and The Wasp in 2018, and until then, there are a fair few questions fans of the character will be asking. For starters, after having his name cleared at the end of Ant-Man, is Scott once again a fugitive?
Bear in mind that he was held in a high security prison by America's Secretary of State, so there's surely no way he can just go back to enjoying a meal with his daughter, ex-wife, and her cop boyfriend! How Hank and Hope are going to fit into his new status quo is also pretty tough to figure out, and perhaps the simplest way to handle this will be to have Ant-Man's next movie set before Civil War (which ultimately seems unlikely).
4. What Happened To Maria Hill?
While it would be easy to assume that Maria Hill is wherever Nick Fury is currently hiding out, bear in mind that Avengers: Age of Ultron concluded with her in the New Avengers Facility, coordinating the efforts of the Avengers' new incarnation and working alongside Doctor Helen Cho.
Now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of this character has always been somewhat watered down when compared to her borderline villainous comic book counterpart, but it's still a shame that we didn't in any way get to see Maria weigh in on this conflict. Captain America: Civil War is a very busy movie in fairness, but we now enter Phase 3 unsure of whether Maria remains at the New Avengers Facility or has rejected the Sokovia Accords by pairing up with Steve Rogers and/or Nick Fury.
3. Does Iron Man Even Have A Team Of Avengers Now?
Following the events of the Civil War comic book, we had Iron Man's Mighty Avengers and BuckyCap's New Avengers. As things currently stand, #TeamCap is back up and running, but #TeamIronMan is a little more fractured. All Tony has is a War Machine who can barely walk and a depressed Vision (Black Widow has vanished and Black Panther is seemingly on #TeamCap now), so he's going to need to get recruiting if he hopes to have a government approved task force ready to be sent into action when the UN decides it's appropriate.
Spider-Man and Captain Marvel are likely candidates for that team, but it definitely appears as if the events of this movie have left the world without an official team of Avengers, something which could shake up the rest of the Phase 3 releases in a big way.
2. Is Bucky On Ice Indefinitely?
Considering the fact that Iron Man is intent on killing him, Bucky being part of Avengers: Infinity War now seems highly unlikely. As a result, it appears as if Marvel has put the former Winter Soldier on ice until a fourth Captain America movie can be sorted out, and that's a disappointing resolution to the character's story arc when you look at what happened to him in the comic books.
However, even if he isn't going to end up wielding the shield, is this really the end for Bucky in Phase 3? The fact that he's being hidden in Wakanda surely opens the door to him being defrosted in the Black Panther movie to help T'Challa out, and a team-up between these two very different characters would be fun to see play out all things considered. For the time being though, we simply don't know.
1. What Exactly Is That Spider Signal?
A gadget like this instantly changes the dynamic of Spider-Man's future adventures, but the problem is that we don't exactly know what it does or why he has it right now! However, it's pretty obvious that answers to that question are coming in Spider-Man: Homecoming next year, but for now, this will likely remain a hot topic of debate among fans.
Have you seen Captain America: Civil War yet? If so, what questions did the movie leave YOU asking? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.