With the release of the first trailer for Roland Emmerich's Independence Day: Resurgence, fans were ultimately left with more questions than answers. What has the world been up to since their victory in the War of '96? What plans have been put in place to prevent another attack? Will Will Smith be making an appearance in the sequel? Surprisingly, this trailer does a good job of answering those questions, even if it leaves bigger plot points alone for the time being. We've scoured the trailer and the film's new viral site to see what we could find, and the results might just surprise you.

Independence Day: Resurgence opens June 24, 2016, and stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. FoxBrent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, and Sela Ward.


Check out the images and bonus information from Independence Day: Resurgence below:

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

Aside from a small pocket of resistance in an isolated area of the African Congo, the alien threat has been neutralized - and the world begins to rise from the ashes. Reconstruction starts immediately as the great cities, monuments and landmarks of the world are slowly restored to their former glory.

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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox

Following the newly established global peace alliance, the United Nations creates the Earth Space Defense program (ESD) to serve as an early warning system and united global defense unit - appointing War of '96 hero David Levinson as its Director. In conjunction with this announcement, the ESD launches a worldwide publicity and recruitment campaign.

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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

ESD applies recovered alien shield technology to an F-22 Raptor to understand how they can better integrate other alien technology into future full Hybrid Fighters. This light experiment will serve as the foundation for the dramatic innovations that the ESD delivers nearly a decade later.


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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

Following the destruction of the alien mothership, Las Vegas was completely demolished by a crashing City Destroyer. Since then, thousands have visited its untouched ruins - serving as a dramatic reminder of the aliens' ruthless attack and a permanent memorial to War of '96.


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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

After years of research and development from ESD scientists around the world, the next generation of hybrid alien vehicles and weapon systems are introduced. One of the standouts is the T4 Global Defender Hybrid Fighter, boasting unprecedented speed, maneuverability, and offensive capabilities.


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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
independence-day-resurgence-trailer-image
Image via 20th Century Fox

A large group of aliens continue to hold out in a remote part of the African Congo - the lone survivors of a crashed City Destroyer. The ESD repeatedly offers their support and assistance to the local government, but is met with aggressive refusal. It will take five more years to subdue the final alien holdouts - a decade after their initial attack.


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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Fox

Monitored from its command center in Beijing, China, the Earth Space Defense Moonbase opens as ESD Director David Levinson presides over the ribbon cutting ceremony. Designed with both offensive and defensive weapons capabilities, the Moonbase is the first of several planetary bases designed to monitor our solar system for potential alien threats.


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Image via 20th Century Fox

While test-piloting the ESD's first alien hybrid fighter, an unknown malfunction causes the untimely death of Col. Hiller. Hiller's valor in the War of '96 made him a beloved global icon whose selfless assault against the alien mothership lead directly to the enemy's defeat. He is survived by his wife Jasmine and son Dylan.

I get the Earth Space Defense force and, to an extent, the Congolese resistance army, but the Colonel Hiller reference might never even makes its way to the big screen. This image comes from the film's viral site and appears to explain the absence of Smith from the sequel. It's an unfortunate turn of events, but at least the filmmakers aren't pretending that Hiller never existed in the first place. Surely more details on this decision will come out between now and the film's June 24, 2016 release date.

Here’s the official synopsis for Independence Day: Resurgence:

We always knew they were coming back.  After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale.  Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet.  But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force.  Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women  can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.


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Image via 20th Century Fox