Honorary Mention: Department Of Damage Control
This one doesn’t set up a future movie – but it could kickstart a new TV show, instead.
In the opening scene, we finally find out who clears up all those citywide messes that the Avengers are always causing in the movies’ third acts. Adrian Toomes led a salvage team but, after the Chitauri invasion of New York, Tony Stark created the Department of Damage Control – a government agency to handle the situation and retrieve any alien or dangerous technology leftover from the battle.
This is a revamp of the Damage Control from the comics – complete with Tyne Daly playing Anne-Marie Hoag as the head of the operation – but its inclusion here is even more important than that, as it could serve as the backdoor pilot for an upcoming TV show.
Back in 2015, it was announced that Marvel were working on a live-action Damage Control series, which was to be the company’s first foray into the half-hour comedy format. The following year, however, the project stalled for unknown reasons. Perhaps because DC were working on their own superhero sitcom – the ultimately ill-fated Powerless.
It’s possible that the project was only on hold because Damage Control’s origin story was set to feature in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Maybe now that the movie is out – not to mention DC’s competition is out of the way, as well – Damage Control will find its way back onto Marvel’s schedule?