Spoilers: just where does Captain America: The Winter Soldier leave the Marvel cinematic universe?

the spy agency which has been the backbone of Marvels shared universe since day one.

Since Joss Whedon and Kevin Feiges mammoth crossover conquered the global box office, the S.H.I.E.L.D.

agents have been suspiciously absent from the big screen MCU adventures.

They didnt do anything to help stop a plot against the P.O.T.U.S.

inIron Man 3and they werent even answering important phone-calls inThor: The Dark World now we know why.

The Winter Soldiershows us that S.H.I.E.L.D.

has some serious problems former WWII-era HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola has been corrupting S.H.I.E.L.D.

As the ever-righteous Steve Rogers points out this isnt freedom, this is fear.

Robert Redfords Alexander Pierce.

Everything goes says Rogers, and everyone agrees.

S.H.I.E.L.D., as we know it, is gone.

So what does this mean for the future?

Why would Stark need to do a lie detector test on Maria though?

Either that or he just likes messing with people and making them nervous.

with no teases for a new S.H.I.E.L.D.

A brief image even suggested that HYDRA was behind the assassination on the grassy knoll.

AlthoughIron Man 2alumnus Senator Stern and established S.H.I.E.L.D.

operative Agent Sidwell have been caught mid-heil, theres bound to be more powerful figures in on the act.

Existing as children of Magneto in the comics, these two characters are traditionally mutants.

With the help of Lokis sceptre.

Presumably left lying around while everyone went for shwarma, the sceptre is now with HYDRA.

Will these new characters, and any more HYDRA creations, be able to control their new powers?

How long before HYDRA starts using them to attempt total world domination?

Can the sceptre create beings with Asgardian levels of power?

The Death of Captain America?

Brubaker famously killed off Cap after the events of MarvelsCivil Warcrossover.

Going forward, the legacy of this film will have repercussions throughout the MCU for years to come.

set-up and a shady bunch of Nazi scientists attempting world domination.

No wonder Marvel has so many films lined up, if its looking to cover that little lot…