What does Sonny Burch mean by, "S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA don't even exist anymore"?

What does Sonny Burch mean by, "S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA don't even exist anymore"? - Nothing to See Here Neon Signage

In Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Sonny Burch says these words to Hope, who is expecting the component from him:

Sonny Burch: My business landscape has been shifting, Hope. Hell, S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA don't even exist anymore... but now, Hank Pym...Hank Pym is a real opportunity.

We see SHIELD in many Marvel movies. Why did he say it like that?



Best Answer

He says it because it's pretty much true at that point in the timeline, in that they are shadows of their former selves, nowhere near the size and scope they both once held.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is pretty much in disarray after the events of The Winter Soldier, in which we learn Hydra agents were able to infiltrate the agency in an effort to use their resources to finally push humanity into giving up their freedom, which Hydra learned years ago they couldn't force. While the mid-credits scene seems to show Hydra still exists, they're seemingly operating on a much smaller and possibly more focused basis.

As such, saying they don't exist anymore could be taken to mean they don't exist at a level that they matter or are viable options to work with anymore. Burch is a big arms dealer, so if they're not able to come through financially the way the once did, and thus in his mind they simply don't exist and aren't worth bothering with.




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Is SHIELD secretly Hydra?

After its defeat at the hands of Captain America in 1945 and the subsequent disappearance of Johann Schmidt, HYDRA was secretly rebuilt inside S.H.I.E.L.D. by Schmidt's top scientist Arnim Zola, who was recruited into the agency during Operation Paperclip and also formed an alliance with the Soviet Union.

Is Hydra and SHIELD the same?

The short answer is: HYDRA is a terrorist organization, while SHIELD is a law enforcement agency. In practice, it's a bit more complicated. In the MCU, HYDRA is a secret organization that was originally formed as a cult that worshiped a very powerful Inhuman, and who's goal was to bring him back from exile to Earth.

Is SHIELD Hydra all along?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier's 2014 revelation that SHIELD had been compromised by Hydra all along changed the very nature of the MCU and left the world without the defense of its global peacekeeping organization.

Is Hydra in Agents of SHIELD?

Season Three sees the culmination of the Hydra/S.H.I.E.L.D. war. Ward is recruiting new members into his version of Hydra, and fights tooth and nail with Coulson and his team. Blaming Coulson for the death of his lover, Ward kills Rosalind Price, a government agent who Coulson has formed a relationship.



Ant-Man Theory: Is Sonny Burch Working For Hydra?




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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