With a universe as vast and as large in scale as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some storylines are bound to take priority over others. After all, one of the appeals of the movies and shows is what each writer and director brings to the table in the grand overarching narrative, and because of that, plot points are constantly in motion and changing.

And then, sometimes, they are completely abandoned or seemingly forgotten about despite prior setup, which can be frustrating to long-time fans who want to see these storylines reach resolutions. And while Marvel has been known to tap into obscure and unexpected areas for emotional depth (Avengers: Endgame referencing Thor: The Dark World heavily was one such instance), there are numerous instances where the franchise dropped storylines completely.

Updated on April 26, 2023, by David Caballero:

The upcoming release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (premiering on May 5) has Marvel fans excited to see their favorite a-holes in one last ride across the MCU's cosmos. The film includes the arrival of Adam Warlock, a character often teased but not seen until now, to the point many fans thought the MCU had forgotten about him. Alas, that's not the case, but that doesn't mean the MCU is not guilty of introducing several storylines that they later unceremoniously drop without revisiting or ending them with a satisfying pay-off.

13 Where Was Nick Fury?

'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)

While Captain America: The Winter Soldier is among the most impactful films in the MCU, one of its most significant elements seems to have been forgotten – Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury. While he was seen as KIA for most of the movie, the third act reveals that he has simply gone into hiding due to HYDRA's infiltration of SHIELD.

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This seems to be a great hook for the character, but his next appearance a year later in Avengers: Age of Ultron seemingly renders this moot, as he returns almost immediately. It's possible that the upcoming Secret Invasion could touch on this, but considering the series has bigger priorities on its mind, it's likely this plot point was just thrown aside.

12 What Was the Deal with Thor's Vision?

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)

Thor's vision, a major subplot in Age of Ultron, was meant to set up Thor: Ragnarok; however, likely due to reorganization at Marvel, the sequence was abandoned in favor of Taika Wiatiti's wacky approach. After the shake-up, all that was left were a bunch of storyline ideas barely referenced before disappearing.

This is especially evident in his initial search for the Infinity Stones, which outside a brief mention in Ragnarok, was never followed up on. And while Thor's journey in Ragnarok was a massive improvement from his prior solo efforts, it's a shame that the juicy setup was never followed up on.

11 Where is Ghost?

'Ant-Man and the Wasp' (2019)

One of the more recent unresolved cliffhangers involves Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), the main antagonist of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Introduced as a shady assassin, Ghost revealed herself as a more sympathetic character than expected for Marvel and even got redeemed by the film's end.

Ghost escapes during the film's third act, leaving the door open for her possible return. While she is confirmed to be starring in Thunderbolts, it's unknown whether the film will continue her story or simply feature her further down the line.

10 What Happened Between Betty and Bruce?

'The Incredible Hulk' (2008)

Due to bizarre licensing issues and lackluster financial results, The Incredible Hulk took quite a while to even be remembered in the MCU outside some brief references here and there. Phase 4 has done some solid work with the reintroduction of Emil Blonksy (Tim Roth) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the upcoming Captain America: New World Order plans to bring back Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) significantly as the lead antagonist.

But one aspect seems to have been completely forgotten: the romance between Betty Ross and Bruce Banner. The storyline was the emotional crux of the 2008 film but has never been referenced since. However, Ross will return in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order, meaning this infamously unfinished storyline can finally have a resolution.

9 What Happened to Justin Hammer's Revenge?

'Iron Man 2' (2010)

While he played second fiddle to Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) for most of the third act, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) was arguably the true antagonist for much of Iron Man 2. Serving as a dark reflection of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Hammer was a welcome comedic distraction from the more serious emotional baggage the film saddled Tony with.

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At the end of the film, prior to Vanko's confrontation with Tony and Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Hammer is arrested but vows revenge against Tony and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). Since then, nothing. Outside a fun cameo appearance in All Hail the King, Hammer has yet to reappear in the main story of the MCU.

8 Where is Scorpion?

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)

At the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) is confronted by criminal Mac Gargan (Michael Mando). Arrested earlier in the movie, Gargan questions Toomes about a possible plan against Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Gargan's presence was clearly meant to set up his eventual turn as Scorpion – one of Spider-Man's most overlooked villains – and possibly a Sinister Six team-up. Alas, nothing has come of that since. And, as Holland's take on the character has gone in a very different direction, this plot point has languished as one of the great unresolved teases of the MCU.

7 What Happened to the Nova Corps?

'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

The Nova Corps played a large role in Guardians of the Galaxy. The organization introduced audiences to the MCU's cosmic side while showcasing some stranger and unique things then-exclusive to the comics. They remained in the background in Phase 3 thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 referencing them several times, but Avengers: Infinity War dealt with them in a big way... off-screen.

Indeed, the film opens with Thanos having already destroyed Xandar and the Nova Corps. And while this choice works as a great segue into Infinity War as a standalone movie, it does leave a massive gap for the MCU to fill.

6 Where is White Vision?

'WandaVision' (2021)

White Vision is the result of SWORD's attempt to recreate the Vision. However, the original Vision reboots White Vision and restores his memories of Wanda. The show ends with White Vision flying away from Westview and into the wilderness, presumably to make sense of his newfound clarity.

WandaVision is the best and most rewatchable Disney+ MCU show, but its treatment of White Vision was disappointing. Introducing him as a massive threat only to backtrack and have him become the new Vision was a shameless attempt to bring the character back after his heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Infinity War. More egregious was having him fly away without providing any explanation. Marvel has announced a Vision-centric series, Vision Quest, but there are no details about it, meaning White Vision's status remains unclear.

5 Mordo's Fate

'Doctor Strange' (2016)

While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness managed to follow up Doctor Strange better than expected, it came at the cost of disregarding the setup with Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo. By the end of the first film, Mordo leaves Kamar-Taj due to becoming disillusioned with how the sorcerers are handling things, something he interprets as being "too many sorcerers" in one of the best post-credits scenes of the MCU.

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So when it's casually revealed that Strange and Mordo have been fighting off-screen in Multiverse of Madness, fans couldn't help but be disappointed. After all, Mordo is a great character and possible villain for his own movie, so dismissing him outright ranks as one of the MCU's biggest blunders.

4 What Happened to The Raft?

'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finally wrapped up the Sokovia Accords storyline by casually dismissing them. However, it's a shame that The Raft, the high-security prison from Captain America: Civil War, has never been used since, despite a ton of story potential.

But outside of brief mentions in Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Raft is pretty much MIA. This is especially disappointing, as She-Hulk could have used this opportunity to put Blonksy in The Raft and show the true purpose of it outside a cool location.

3 Didn't HYDRA Have Pym Tech?

'Ant-Man' (2015)

HYDRA's theft of Pym Particles is among the more obvious forgotten storylines within the MCU, mainly because it was so clearly a sequel setup. While Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll) is defeated at the end of Ant-Man and the day is saved, one loose thread is left hanging for more observant viewers – HYDRA, the long-running antagonist organization in the MCU, has the Pym Particle technology at their disposal now.

Since Phase 2 ended, HYDRA has been absent from the MCU, likely as a means of moving on from them to bigger threats like Thanos and Kang. Still, the idea that HYDRA is still out there with Pym Tech makes for an intriguing pitch, and hopefully, Marvel could follow up on that storyline in the future.

2 What Happened to the Celestial Tiamut?

'Eternals' (2021)

The unfairly maligned Eternals introduced the titular team to the MCU. The plot centers on the Eternals as they reunite after centuries apart to fight their ancient enemies, the Deviants. However, their fight will lead them down a dangerous path of revelations.

The film reveals that the Eternals work as harvesters for the Celestials, encouraging civilization development to generate enough energy and allow the birth of a new Celestial. However, the Eternals save Earth by stopping the Celestial's emergence. The film ends with a massive marbleized Celestial coming out of the ocean. Such a crucial development should be cause for concern, especially among the Avengers. However, no MCU project has even mentioned the titanic alien coming out of the ocean, a huge plot hole in the ever-expanding franchise.

1 What About the Infinity Stones?

'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)

Avengers: Endgame pulled a shocking twist by revealing Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones after his plan to wipe out half of the universe's life worked. However, this choice creates a massive plot point, considering the Stones supposedly preserved the universe's flow, and removing them would result in catastrophe.

The Avengers' time heist works, and they retrieve the Stones, but Steve returns them to their timelines. Thus, the current MCU is Infinity Stone-less, meaning the Ancient One's warnings should happen, and catastrophe should ensue. However, the MCU doesn't seem intent on following up with this plot point – in fact, they seem to have forgotten about it or outright discarded it to move on to the Multiverse Saga.

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