Last night, during the college football national championship game, Marvel finally unveiled the second full-length trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, which offers plenty of new footage that wasn't shown in the first trailer from last October. One of the biggest mysteries in this new trailer is the brief appearance of a woman disrobing in a cave, who hasn't been shown before in any of the previous footage, along with another woman who is seen behind Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as he is shocked by what appears to be some sort of electric spark. Who might these women be? There are a few theories floating around the web already, so let's break them down right here.
Who Is The Woman In the Cave?
[1] Wakandan Dora Miljae
If this theory is true, it would be an obvious reference to the upcoming Phase Three adventure Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman, who will make his first appearance in next year's Captain America: Civil War. In the Marvel comic books, the Dora Miljae are a group of female warriors who serve as the personal bodyguards for T'challa. They are some of the most formidable fighters in the Marvel comic universe, destroying Doombots and even holding their own against Black Widow. Kevin Feige has previously teased that Black Panther's homeland of Wakanda will be featured in Avengers: Age of Ultron, leading many to speculate that this mysterious character is actually in a vibranium cave, which contains the metal that Captain America's shield is made of.
[2] Shuri
This woman could also very well be Shuri, the sister of T'challa, since it has been noted that the mysterious character's headgear appears to have a feline shape. In the comics, Shuri eventually takes over the Black Panther mantle from her brother T'challa, so it's certainly possible that Marvel could be introducing her here, to set up possible future appearances in Phase Three, Phase Four and beyond. It's also worth noting that Andy Serkis makes another brief appearance in the trailer, and it is speculated that he is playing Ulysses S. Claw, who has a history with the Wakandans in the comics after murdering T'challa and Suri's father. It's possible that Shuri tracking down her father's murderer could tie into Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther
[3] Death
The Marvel Comics character Death has already been briefly teased in Marvel's The Avengers, when Thanos is told that challenging the Avengers would be to court Death, but there isn't much to support this theory. A shot from the first trailer reveals Thor in what appears to be the same cave as this mystery woman, with some speculating that Thor has a showdown with Death where he meets his demise. Of course, the main problem with this theory is that Marvel has already announced Thor: Ragnarok for 2017, but it's also worth noting that characters such as Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) have "died" in previous Marvel movies, only to be brought back to life. Could this happen with Thor as well?
Who Is The Woman Attacking Thor?
[1] Moondragon
The new trailer is cut together to make it look like one of Ultron's red electronic beams strikes Thor in a completely different shot, but, if you look closely, a woman is seen behind Thor, who may be possible for this attack, especially considering Thor is hit with blue electronic beams. One theory is that this woman is Moondragon, who, in the comics, is a powerful telepath and martial artist, who has been connected to Thor and the Mad Titan himself, Thanos.
[2] Hela
Hela is an Asgradian character who is the daughter of a previous version of Loki, who rules the land of the dead in Thor's homeland of Asgrad. However, while she is a major character in the comics, this is the first we're seeing of this mysterious woman, who seems to be in too minor of a role for such an important character. Since it's possible that the other mystery woman may be Death, we should also consider that the Asgardian version of Death, Hela, may be present as well.
[3] Enchantress
Enchantress has both been a love interest and enemy to Thor in the comics, and the mystery woman's costume and possible ability to attack with bolts of electricity could mean that she is Enchantress. However, the character is typically portrayed as a blonde woman in the comics, but it's possible that Marvel could be changing her appearance just to throw fans off. It's possible that this scene only serves as an introduction to the character, with a larger arc to follow in the ever expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we don't know that for sure.
What do you think about all of these theories? Who do you think these mysterious women are in Avengers: Age of Ultron? We likely won't know any more for sure until this highly-anticipated sequel hits theaters on May 1, but you can chime in with your own theories below.