13 Unresolved Marvel Plot Threads

One of the biggest questions going into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pinning down exactly when Nick Fury and Maria Hill were replaced by Skrulls.One of the biggest questions going into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is pinning down exactly when Nick Fury and Maria Hill were replaced by Skrulls.Pinning down exactly when Nick Fury and Maria Hill were replaced by Skrulls is one of the biggest questions going into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.This question concerns when.Talos and Nick Fury started swapping places. This happened in the end credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home.Spider-Man: Far From Home.Nick Fury and Maria Hill use Talos and his wife Soren as body doubles while the real Fury and Hill are elsewhere doing something unknown. Fury worked with Talos and the Skrulls since the '90s and started S.W.O.R.D. with Maria Rambeau around the same time. A super-spy like Fury swapping with a Skrull double makes sense.

Some evidence appears throughout the films.Captain America: The Winter Soldier.Fury's "death" scene and later "resurrection" confused people. Some of Fury's mannerisms in Age of Ultron contradict his later behavior.Age of Ultron.This contradicted his own mannerisms later discussed in Captain Marvel.Captain Marvel.Maria Hill called Fury "Nick" while The Snap happened in Avengers: Infinity War.Avengers: Infinity War.Fury states he only goes by Fury in Captain Marvel.Captain Marvel.

There is an eight-month gap between Tony Stark's funeral in Endgame and the events of Far From Home.Endgame.The eight-month period between Tony Stark's funeral in Endgame and the events of Far From Home.Far From Home.A swap could have happened there, but the Skrull in the mid-credits scene for WandaVision prevents it.The Skrull in the mid-credits scene for WandaVision prevents it.This implies Fury has been on the space station seen in Far From Home's end credits.Far From Home's end credits scene.Fury has been on that space station for a much longer time.

We might get an answer in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion.Secret Invasion.Secret Invasion features both Fury and Talos (and likely Monica Rambeau), but for now, this thread remains open.

From Redditor u/Cardinal_and_Plum:

I was thinking about Endgame.Today, I consider which movies are important to see for it, and Ant-Man and the Wasp came to mind.Ant-Man and the Wasp.Ant-Man started in the quantum realm to gather particles so the team could help Ghost keep her form. I hope she got snapped too, since we never saw or heard about the particles in Endgame., and Ant-Man was gone for five years. Who knows Ghost's state after that long without treatment. I expect the next Ant-Man movie will cover this, but I hadn't seen that topic raised yet.

Marvel fans theorize about a potential throwaway line in Avengers: Endgame.Avengers: Endgame.That line happened between Black Widow and Okoye during the post-snap Avengers meeting. The exchange involved underwater earthquakes off the coast of Africa, concerning Natasha and how the Avengers will handle it. Okoye stated, "An earthquake under the ocean, we handle it by not handling it."

Redditors in a thread created by u/Splice098Redditors theorize that the line sets up the later introduction of Namor the Sub-Mariner and the MCU's Atlantis, a hidden society like Wakanda with advanced tech.

Another set of Redditors, in a thread created by u/TheRealLukeJamesSome people suggest introducing mutants to the MCU via Genosha, a comic book mutant sanctuary. This could move the MCU forward. It remains less likely than the Namor theory. This offers a simple way to bring the X-Men and mutants into the MCU without confusing the story with the multiverse or time travel.

Redditoru/Joerinaldi13This user made a good point that the aftermath of the opening scene in brought up but seemed ignored.Captain America: Civil War:

Cap asks Rumlow (Crossbones) about his buyer when the Avengers stop the plot to steal the disease at the movie's start. Rumlow changes the topic to Bucky. Does Rumlow give any real explanation for his goals?

Fandom theories point toward the Ten Rings, the crime group led by the Mandarin, first shown inIron Manbut members of the organization appeared most recently inAnt-Mana deleted scene. WithShang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Ringsthe horizon, we might learn about their biological warfare plans.

Redditoru/DeadThanosThis user wanted to see the Raft again in the MCU. Some viewers may not recall, but the Raft appears briefly inCaptain America: Civil War, and hosts many of Earth-616'smost dangerous criminalsand enhanced individuals. This location is important in the Marvel universe. It is a main element in many comic storylines (think Arkham Asylum for DC).

FollowingCivil Warthe last time the Raft appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasLuke CageandJessica JonesDiamondback and Trish Walker went there after fights with the law. The Raft could hold tons of enhanced people we forgot about over the years (check out those one-off villains-of-the-week from ).Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) that could be useful if the right chance appears infuture MCU projects. Thunderbolts, anyone?

From Redditoru/Intanjible:

This came fromGuardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2This seems like a big deal.

Ego reveals his universe plan. He activated his essence seeds on the planets where he left them during his many failed attempts to have offspring. Using Peter as an unwilling battery, he triggered a blue-glowing, pulsating substance. This substance was meant to turn those planets into extensions of Ego through what he called "The Expansion."

Celestial seeds caused major damage to host planets. They left visible alien landmass even when not taking over. The destruction was clear, even if the material vanished. Has any other MCU event dealt with this? Overlooking this seems like a big miss.

Liv Tyler's Betty Ross made an impact in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's often-missed entry.The Incredible Hulk.Some supplementary-canon comics, plus one interview with the Russo Brothers, show this.The Russo Brothers revealed in an interview that Betty Ross was dusted with The Snap.Betty Ross has been missing from the MCU since 2008; she has no current status.Official news about her return remains absent.A scientist specializing in biology and radiation has enough information for Marvel Studios to bring her back.

Rumors and fan speculation on Reddit, in a thread by Redditoru/drchillout7Some users have suggested Betty Ross might return in the upcomingShe-HulkThe series on Disney+ is planned, but production hasn't started. The future is uncertain.

From Redditoru/SpecificTonight:

What happened to Mysterio? Is he dead? I hope he survived; he was a good villain.

At the end ofSpider-Man: Far From Home, viewers see a news broadcast from theDaily BugleThe broadcast included an exclusive clip of Mysterio's "last moments" before his "death" by Spider-Man. Quentin Beck likely died from injuries in his fight. However, Mysterio's infrastructure might still exist. E.D.I.T.H. confirmed Beck died on the bridge with no holograms left after the fight. Still, Beck's team of former Stark employees harbors a grudge against the Avengers and everyone connected to them.

We may not see Mysterio again. Whether he appears in any form depends on the decision-makers.

RememberThe Incredible Hulk? Don't worry—not many people do! Dr. Samuel Sterns was a cellular biologist at Grayburn College seeking a cure for Bruce Banner's condition. He made a temporary antidote but later used the same procedure on Emil Blonsky, turning him into the Abomination.

Redditoru/Alseid_Tempoffered this answer in athreadasking this very question:

In the supplementary comics, I thinkFury's Big Week, Black Widow goes straight fromIron Man 2to watching Banner, then arresting Sterns and taking him into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

Rumors suggested an early version ofAge of Ultron's plot involved the Abomination, Sterns, and others, but that story did not happen.

The Hydra reveal following that tie-in comic leaves the Powers That Be to decide if Samuel Sterns reappears in the MCU. Secretary Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (who becomes Red Hulk) might reappear.Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, and with She-HulkDisney+ is coming soon. Do not rule out anything.

Abomination, the baddie from 2008, is long forgotten.The Incredible Hulk The Incredible Hulk has been absent from the MCU since he first ran wild during the Harlem incident. Many Redditors wonder about his fate.RedditorsRedditors are puzzled by Blonsky's fate, especially with Thaddeus Ross returning in Civil War.Civil Warand later AvengersThe answer to Abomination's situation appears in the underrated Marvel Television show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In Episode 13 of "T.R.A.C.K.S.," Agent Coulson told Grant Ward that Emil Blonsky, the man who became Abomination, was in a cryo-cell at the Vault in Barrow, Alaska. After the Hulk fought Abomination and took him into custody, he reverted to human form. This matches Coulson's statement.

Given S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fall in Captain America: The Winter Soldier,Captain America: The Winter Soldierthe exact location of Blonsky remains unknown. This matters because Ross mentioned "misplacing a couple of megaton nukes" in Civil War.Civil War.

Update: As of She-Hulk, Emil Blonsky opened a meditation retreat in Central California after fighting Wong in Shang-Chi.Shang-Chi.

From Redditor u/sweetpineapple:

Did all the employees at the Avengers facility die seconds after being Blipped back? I heard about people on planes or ships being Blipped back to safety. Since Hulk did not know Thanos was coming, he probably Blipped back the Avengers facility workers at the time of The Snap, back to the facility, which instantly vaporized two seconds later.

This plot hole has been discussed since Endgame.Endgameblew fans' minds in summer 2019. At the end of Age of Ultron,Age of Ultron,the Avengers built a compound with new staff, separate from S.H.I.E.L.D. They set up labs, ran drills, and monitored data. After Civil War,Civil War,the Avengers fully dissolved. The facility seemed mostly empty, except for the press conference and limited staff at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming.Spider-Man: Homecoming.

It isvery unlikely Marvel Studios wanted so many casualties in their best movie. The compound was either unstaffed or those Snapped were returned to safety.

From Redditor u/Dasheek:

What happened to Thor's hammer, Mjolnir? Hela destroyed it in Ragnarok.RagnarokIts remains are in Norway.

The upcoming entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unanswered.Thor: Love and ThunderThis film might hold the answer to this question.Love and ThunderIt features Jane Foster's return. She explores her cancer story and takes the mantle of Thor. In comics, Mjolnir deemed Foster worthy, allowing her to take the hammer and its powers. We do not know if Foster or magic rebuilt the hammer. Knowing the hammer's location requires seeing the film.

Also, inAvengers: EndgameNew Asgard is established in Norway. Thus, Asgardian refugees could have recovered the fragments.

Update:Audiences learn inThor: Love and ThunderThe fragments of Mjolnir became a tourist spot in New Asgard. The fragments called out to Dr. Jane Foster, who became Mighty Thor. The hammer returned to Thor Odinson at the film's end.

From Redditoru/Twigryph:

Are the Dark Elves gone? I want to know. If they are still around, Thor killed a whole race, and I thought he opposed that. The Collector had one, at least.

As ofEndgame, no surviving Dark Elves show up, except for the single elf the Collector imprisoned and appeared inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1.The Collector's aide likely destroyed this elf. The aide picked up the Power Stone, causing an explosion at the facility, leaving viewers empty-handed.

In an interview withSlashfilm, visual effects supervisorMatt Aitken stated the Dark Elves would join Thanos's army in the final battle. Time constraints cut them, leaving room to guess about their return.