A pleasant surprise in this movie was the form in which Arnim Zola appeared. Having been a key component of HYDRA's formation and plans in the first Captain America movie, it was confirmed long ago that Toby Jones would reprise his role in this one - but the circumstances in which he would appear were unclear. Would he appear in flashbacks? Would he have been granted a prolonged life thanks to a serum? Would he only appear in old video footage shown in the present day? As it turns out, none of the above. Zola appeared as a disembodied consciousness stored inside a computer in an underground S.H.I.E.L.D. base. It is revealed that he was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. after World War II and was a key factor in the parasitic growth of HYDRA within the organisation. When his body died in the 1970s, his consciousness was saved and transferred in to a computer so that he could continue his work. He explains to Captain America and Black Widow that he created a data-mining algorithm ("Zola's algorithm") which identified people as potential threats and that HYDRA would use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Helicarriers to kill 20 million of them. The base in which Zola's consciousness was speaking was destroyed when Cap and Black Widow were targeted for assassination, but it's unlikely that will have permanently destroyed Zola. Will he appear in a MODOK-esq mechanical suit in the future? Is he "the Clairvoyant" in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Will he have anything to do with the creation of Ultron?
