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Avengers: Endgame is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) culmination of the Infinity Saga. It showcases the MCU's interwoven tales and vast history, and fans' imaginations are piqued by Howard Stark and Arnim Zola's brief interaction in the movie.
The mission of discovering and apprehending high-ranking members of HYDRA, a pernicious group that had infiltrated the S.S.R. (Strategic Scientific Reserve) during World War II, fell to Howard Stark, Tony Stark's (Iron Man) father.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from movies and series like Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and What If...?
Avengers: Endgame - What happened to Zola after the Red Skull?
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Zola's computerized version tells Nat and Cap how he and some of HYDRA's scientists were recruited to SHIELD to work on some projects. In Avengers: Endgame, Zola's appearance may only suggest that he and his subordinates might have already started infiltrating SHIELD.
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Following Red Skull's defeat, the Allied forces, which included Howard Stark and the S.S.R., set out to destroy HYDRA and bring its leaders to trial. Stark's pursuit of Zola shows his commitment to eliminating HYDRA.
Stark has demonstrated his commitment to taking down HYDRA and delivering justice for its members by looking for Zola.
First appearance of Zola's computer form
None of the fans expected this Easter egg from Avengers: End Game. Since its appearance, many theories have been going around. One such speculation is that being a genius, Howard Stark might be understanding Zola's mechanism.
As such, we see how Zola became a crucial element in the What If...? series.
In Avengers: Endgame, time travel was explored heavily as the present, past, and future were woven into a single thread at some point. So, it is possible that the makers put Zola in the movie to maintain the continuity of time. By visiting older times, they wanted to put all references in the right place.
A symbolic circle?
When Tony and Steve Rogers traveled back in time to bring back the tesseract, they were traveling to a time when SSR was actively trying to fight HYDRA. To imply the significance of the people who started all this, makers may pay this homage to showcase the severity of the time.
Final thoughts
The MCU's storyline, featuring Howard Stark and Arnim Zola, explores history, science, and the conflict between good and evil. Avengers: Endgame expertly orchestrates narrative layers, revealing secrets even in seemingly minor events.
And now, Arnim Zola's entrance in What If..? season 1 combines MCU storytelling with comic book nostalgia, paying respect to his legendary appearance and opening new narrative avenues.
Zola's potential to usher in a new era of technological villainy should be a concern in future films that start with Captain America: The First Avenger.
