Kevin Feige Worried 'The Blip' Would Ruin The MCU – Then There Was A Global Pandemic
"Avengers: Infinity War" remains an impressive blockbuster filmmaking achievement. As part one of a two-part trilogy spanning 10 years of world building and franchise expansion, its first half brought together heroes that previously only appeared in comic books for an epic crossover event known as The Blip that saw half the universe vanish from existence.
At that very same moment, "Avengers: Endgame" became an instantaneous must-see movie for everyone on earth and also caused major alarm for Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. According to Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards in their book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios," Kevin Feige expressed concerns that The Blip would permanently undermine Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Feige expressed concern that Thanos killing half the MCU might become like the Battle of New York from Avengers, wherein its aftermath became referenced repeatedly as an event... until an actual pandemic broke out... which resulted in people from both worlds experiencing similar trauma simultaneously, something the MCU cannot replicate on screen and in real life alike, Feige noted. "Now this experience affects every human on earth directly resonant with what characters in MCU had experienced and all humans experiencing," Feige continued.
"Spider-Man: Far From Home" marked Marvel Cinematic Universe films after "The Blip", taking an amusing approach to its tragedy (people reappearing on nonexistent airplanes! A very amusing tribute to fallen Avengers!). However, by the next MCU title released during pandemic quarantine periods.
Thanos' height presents a problem within the MCU.
Feige was right to worry that audiences might forget an event as groundbreaking as The Blip as audiences switched their focus toward new phases of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storytelling. Yet ironically it seems the MCU itself quickly forgot all about The Blip even after it happened, using its memory only occasionally and mostly within Disney+ shows such as WandaVision or "Falcon and Winter Soldier".
These series referenced and showed both the personal grieve caused by The Blip as well as its global effects and social movements that followed in its wake. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" alluded to homelessness caused by The Blip as well as awkward situations such as people being declared dead for five years before suddenly reappearing; other than this however, over time audiences no longer seemed too concerned with its details - the MCU itself seemed content merely nodding at it from time to time without giving much attention or depth of meaning behind its narrative.
But that is nothing new for this franchise; large world-shifting events, like Sokovia Accords in "Captain America: Civil War", Celestial's reappearance in "Eternals," and Earth-based colony New Asgard established in "Endgame", often get forgotten despite having profound impacts. Now as "Avengers: Secret Wars", an event which could even reboot everything universe wide is upon us, its unlikely that Marvel Studios will delve back into any previous major world-changing events to illustrate their effects upon people's lives.