What is SHIELD's Role in 'Ant-Man and The Wasp'?

As we're all aware, 2018's biggest Marvel movie is going to be Avengers: Infinity War, and by now, you've probably already heard some interesting tidbits about the movie. Between the new set images and plot spoilers released, Infinity War is already turning up to be exactly what we expect of a cumulative Avengers movie.

While #AvengersInfinityWar will remain a topic of interest for some time, we should really be focusing on the outcome of Infinity War, as well as how the aftermath of those wars will effect the state of the MCU. #AntManAndTheWasp will probably be the first opportunity to see what the world is like after Infinity War since it's chronologically the next movie to premiere in 2018.

In terms of what we'll see is anyone's guess, but it appears as though S.H.I.E.L.D. has a role to play in the aftermath of Thanos's invasion of Earth, with the recent casting of Randall Park as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Tracking Board was the first to cite the new casting of Randall Park, but several more sources have since verified the casting for its legitimacy. Still, the casting of Park raises several questions about how S.H.I.E.L.D. will factor into the movie.

What Connection Does Jimmy Woo Have To S.H.I.E.L.D. In The Current State Of The MCU?

At the moment, we don't exactly know the context around Jimmy Woo's role in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but the notion of Woo being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent likely means the shadowy organization has once again risen to its former glory, if they're involving themselves in the central plots of the MCU.

With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents being branded fugitives in the latest season finale Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency was left all but in ruins. Making it unlikely for a current division of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be sending their agents on missions around the world. That is unless, the agency undergoes a complete overhaul of its top officials, placing new characters at the head. Of course, it seems much more believable for the next season of #AgentsOfSHIELD to feature S.H.I.E.L.D. recovering from its latest setbacks by clearing Agent Coulson's team of any wrongdoing. In that scenario, S.H.I.E.L.D. would be able to send out their agents, including Agent Woo, on whatever missions necessary at the time.

Then again, any big-screen adaptation of Woo could be portrayed similarly to his comic counterpart, who was a SHIELD agent during the 1950's. In that line of events, Agent Woo's part in Ant-Man and the Wasp could be relegated to flashback sequences of Jimmy Woo alongside past SHIELD agents like Nick Fury, Hank Pym, and Sharon Carter.

There's also a possibility that Agent Woo will be a "former" agent who now has his own reasons for working with Ant-Man and the Wasp. Or, Agent Woo could be on a mission to capture the elusive Scott Lang, when we account for his status as a wanted fugitive in Captain America: Civil War.

For now, we should stay open to any number of scenarios playing out, considering how little information is available on Park's part as Agent Jimmy Woo. Although, the casting of more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in Ant-Man and the Wasp would provide us with enough evidence to confirm S.H.I.E.L.D.'s integral role in the plot. But until we more about the film, we can only speculate on how big of a part S.H.I.E.L.D. will actually play.

Ant-Man and the Wasp open in theaters on July 6, 2018.