Where Were These 7 Characters During 'Civil War'?

Captain America: Civil War is being rated as one of the best superhero movies of the summer and it answered many questions while adding so many more to the list. One of the biggest questions is where some of the main characters from previous movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe were during said civil war? Let's take a look at what we know and what we're still waiting to find out.

There were early rumors that Mark Ruffalo would reprise his role as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in Captain America: Civil War, however, we didn't get to see our big green hero. Could you imagine Hulk during Civil War? Not much of a chance for whoever was fighting against him. Apparently, there were plans for him to appear in a teaser type of role, but his part was removed from the script because the studio didn’t want to reveal Hulk’s whereabouts until the right moment. So, where could he have been during the events of Civil War?

One popular theory is that he went to space, sending himself off to oblivion after seeing the devastation he caused in Avengers: Age of Ultron. With Ant-Man's introduction of the Quantum Realm, and the upcoming Doctor Strange showing more of the world of magic, some think that Hulk could have made it to an alternate dimension or will somehow have magic transporting him to Asgard. These theories are even less likely, but I suppose anything is possible. The truth is we still have no clues as to where the Hulk ended up and it looks like it'll be staying that way for the foreseeable future.

Thor

Eleanor Tremeer gave us a fairly clear synopsis for this one.

"...once the day was well and truly saved at the end of 'Avengers 2,' Thor's next step was probably to fly straight back to Asgard, to investigate his apocalyptic premonition. It makes sense that home and hearth come before mere mortal tiffs, so Thor's absence from 'Civil War' is entirely understandable. He's not exactly a resident of Earth, so the issue of government control would probably bore him to tears."

And after the vision he saw of the Infinity Stones and the coming Ragnarok, who could blame him?

This answer isn't as straightforward, though screenwriter Christopher Markus explains why they didn't include Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in the Captain America three-quel to the LA Times:

"Primarily it felt like one too many possible opinions...We didn't want him to take one side or the other, because that's not his place in the universe."

While that explains why he wasn't in the script, it's left to our imaginations as to what Fury was doing and where he was during that time. He does tend to be one or two steps ahead of everything, so perhaps we'll hear more from him in the coming years building up to the Infinity War.

Apparently, we're seeing a trend, because even Peyton Reed has said that there were already too many characters in Captain America: Civil War to include the Wasp. According to The Wrap, Marvel wants to properly introduce the superhero “fully formed” in Ant-Man and the Wasp. The last we saw of Hope's hope into the hero-ing world was in the final moments of Ant-Man, so it'll be exciting to see her as the venomously vigilant Vespula vulgaris.

Even with her direct connection to Tony Stark at Stark Industries (as Fury's mole), Maria Hill wasn't invited to the party that was Captain America: Civil War. It's assumed that after the Battle of Sokovia she moved in to the New Avengers Facility to assist the Avengers (from her scene at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron). My guess is that her absence is in part due to Nick Fury, being that she always seems to be in touch with and working for him behind the scenes.

The last we saw Thanos was in the aftermath of Avengers: Age of Ultron when he, after losing patience with his apparent servants, opts to seek out the Infinity stones personally (which brings a terrifyingly smug smile across his face). Be afraid, friends.

Despite the Russo's revealing who he would side with in Civil War if he were a part of the story (Team Cap), not much is known about the good Doctor apart from what we've seen in the trailer. If you keep up with the WHIH Newsfront web series (don't forget how extensive the MCU actually is), you'll see Dr. Stephen Strange pop up on the scrolling ticker suggesting that, in real-time with the movies, Stephen Strange is a world-renowned surgeon at the time of Captain America: Civil War.

What is Next in the Marvel Lineup:

Luke Cage — Season One (September 30, 2016)

Doctor Strange (November 4, 2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (May 5, 2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7, 2017)

Thor: Ragnarok (November 3, 2017)

Black Panther (February 16, 2018)

Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1 (May 4, 2018)

Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6, 2018)

Captain Marvel (March 8, 2019)

Avengers: Infinity War — Part 2 (May 3, 2019)

Netflix has also announced Iron Fist, the Defenders, The Punisher, as well as a second season of Jessica Jones, which don't have official release dates as of yet. Cloak And Dagger will be the first Marvel series produced with Freeform, scheduled for 2017. If rumors are to be believed, a Black Widow solo movie is also (finally) in the works. A lot of build up to Phase 4 and we've only just begun Phase 3.