It should come as no surprise that the events in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" will have a sizable impact on the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, co-star Anthony Mackie is already on record as saying the movie "has kind of become 'Avengers 1.5,' if you look at the cast they've put together, if you look at the number of characters that are in the movie."

Now, that sentiment has been reinforced at the highest level. Speaking with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger claimed that the outcome of "The Winter Soldier" will "set critical events in motion" for next summer's "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," as well as Marvel Television's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," according to a report on TheWrap.com.

What kind of "crucial events" will be put into motion, you ask? Your guess is as good as ours, but from the outside looking in, judging by trailers and other promotional material, it appears that S.H.I.E.L.D. as an organization has seen brighter days. Perhaps the house that Nick Fury built will come crashing down by the end of "Winter Soldier," leading to dramatic changes on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and having an impact on the events of "Age of Ultron," as well. Again, for now, all we can do is speculate.

There is, perhaps, another possibly super-spoilerific clue about how "Winter Soldier" relates to "Age of Ultron." Earlier in the week, LaineyGossip.com posted a report claiming to know the post-credits scene in "Winter Soldier," and if accurate, it has two major ties to "Age of Ultron." While details are slim, the report mentions the debut of a pair of characters referred to as "the twins," aka Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, and the look they sport is supposedly unlike anything we've seen in Marvel's movies to date.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier," starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, arrives in theaters on April 4.