'Avengers 4': Is the Captain America Shield From 'Iron Man' the Prototype Mentioned in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'?

Now that Avengers: Infinity War has arrived on Blu-ray, we've been spending all of our time pouring over the footage and special features, stopping and starting in every frame to try and get any sort of insight into what will come in Avengers 4 next May. Of course, this has resulted in an absolute flooding of fan theories online.

One of these theories however, looks even further in the MCU past to get a glimpse of what's to come. It's possible that a major upgrade could be on the way for Captain America, one that was introduced more than eight years ago in the second Iron Man movie.

Think back to Iron Man 2. When Phil Coulson comes to Tony's house to talk, we get see an unfinished prototype of Captain America's shield. While Cap hasn't been unfrozen yet, the guy was an American icon who worked hand-in-hand with Tony's father. It made complete sense for Tony to be working on a replica shield.

However, while this may have just started as a clever Marvel Easter egg that teased the introduction of Captain America, it has also set up the character's future.

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony was in the process of moving all of his stuff away from New York. As Happy mentions, that old shield is a part of the massive collection being transported. In other words: The shield is still around.

Let's remember, in Captain America: Civil War, Cap's vibranium shield was damaged. He's now using a set of Wakandan shields instead. However, it seems highly unlikely that he doesn't get another version of his iconic weapon in the final chapter of the Avengers saga. There's just no way. He's going to have another shield, one way or another.

Fortunately, Tony Stark already has one in storage, ready for Cap to use at any time. Even if the shield still isn't finished, Tony now has access to the nano-tech he used to make his suit, so he could actually upgrade it even further.

The other option that presents itself is the idea that Shuri makes a new shield for Cap ahead of the final battle. Wakanda has access to tons and tons of vibranium, so she could make one as strong, if not stronger than the original.

How do you think Captain America will get his shield in Avengers 4? Will other items in Tony's "collection" come into play at some point in the future? Let us know by sounding off in the comments below!

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Avengers 4 is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2019.