Avengers: Infinity War took the audience and the characters in the MCU by surprise when it first came out. As such, the reversal of the snap that took some of our favorite characters in Infinity War was mind-blowing in Endgame. The reverse snap was deemed a success for the MCU heroes, but Phase 4 reveals that it also created brand new global problems.
As expected, Marvel decided to delve deep into these problems through its upcoming films and shows. For example, WandaVision may have dealt with the grief of Wanda. However, it also showed us what exactly happened all around the world from the perspective of Monica Rambeau. But now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is diving deeper into its unintended consequences around the world.
What had to be done:
The events of Infinity War drove the remaining Avengers to undo what Thanos had done. After finding out a way to get everyone back, they risked their lives without hesitation. This led to some of our favorite characters dying with no chance of resurrection such as Black Widow and Tony Stark. Tony gave up his life as he believed the world can be a better place with the people who will come back from the snap.
This is further pointed out in the second installment of Spider-man in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Due to the events that took place in Endgame, the majority of the population celebrated the Avengers for their selflessness and sacrifice. However, as we find out in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, with the good, there will always be the bad.
With the MCU moving onwards with Phase 4, we get to see the negative impacts slowly bleeding into the world as our heroes try to find ways to fix things as much as they can. Amid the complicated story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the series has done a solid job tackling the complications left by the sudden return of half of the world’s population thanks to the introduction of the Flag-Smashers.
The general public:
During the blip that took place after Thanos snapped half of every population away, the rest of the survivors had to continue living on. This caused some great confusion as nations were in chaos and amid the chaos, the civilians shifted from place to place and made their homes and livelihoods. We got to see a glimpse of this during Endgame itself. For instance, Captain America’s therapy group offered a glimpse of what it’s like for civilians who weren’t on the frontlines for the fight against the Mad Titan.
Their lives had barely moved on in the 5 years of the blip. Now that everyone came back without an exact warning, the entire world went through the same chaos it did when the snap initially took place. People that had made their homes and livelihoods got kicked out or shifted. The people who had returned got prioritized but in doing so, the people that were already existing got pushed to the corner as explained by Karli explained in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. At least with the help of Thanos, the world finally became one, and job opportunities, homes, etc. were now easily available.
But since the return of the snap victims was an indication that the world went back to the way it was before the decimation, with previous global zoning reinstituted. Those who were living the lives of the ones who were gone were displaced and branded as refugees. The sheer cruelty can be seen in the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Sam cannot even get a simple loan from the bank.
The resources that got downsized during the blip:
With half of the population gone, the resources on every planet in the universe would have most likely doubled accordingly. This was exactly what Thanos was after as he did not want anyone else to suffer how he did. He insisted to take action when resources were starting to diminish on his planet. However, no one listened to him and it ended up dying. With that loss in mind, he decided to take matters into his own hands and play the God no one wanted. With his plan finished, Earth seemed to have an excess amount of resources considering that half the population got dusted.
Therefore, the resources were already shortening as no one expected for the snap to be reversed. As such, when the snap did get undone, the pool of resources that were present could not even come close to being sufficient. This could result in all kinds and levels of conflict as people fight for their needed supply. While the Global Repatriation Council (GRC) has been established, the flow of goods is still hampered for various reasons including inefficient operations.
The sheer amount of injuries and confusion caused:
Let’s discuss the fact that when the snap was reversed, everyone came back into existence at the exact spot where they got dusted. Spider-Man: Far From Home depicted the catastrophe unfold in a much lighter manner than what the majority went through. A much more realistic point of view was showcased in the mini-series of WandaVision. This was due to the scene we witness unfold as Monica Rambeau started reforming after Smart Hulk’s reverse snap in a hospital room where she was five years prior.
With Monica’s situation in mind, there must have been thousands if not millions of people popping up in dangerous locations. Such as in the middle of a street, mid-air if anyone was attending a flight at that time, in the middle of homes that have either been abandoned or taken over. Chaos then ensued following the consecutive returns of those who were snuffed out of existence in the building; this hampered the institution’s operations and caused injuries as people unknowingly hit each other.
New terrorist organizations and villains:
With the entire world now separated once again with borders and nations. All the so-called “refugees” are just fighting to keep themselves off the streets and get back to their normal lives. However, that cannot happen just yet as the GRC is still trying to make its way through everything at its own pace. Karli and the Flag-Smashers are fighting for a unified planet. Just like how it was on the heels of Thanos’ snap. This is reflected in their motto, “One World. One People.”
Nevertheless, we see Sam empathizing with Karli as she has gone through with the same troubles since he returned. The only reason he cannot join Karli is that she is hurting innocent people to get her point across. If that attitude isn’t the same thing that drove Thanos then we don’t know what the difference could be. Aside from the Flag-Smashers, there could also be other radicalized groups lurking in the shadow.
Perhaps people who thrived in the five years after Avengers: Infinity War and genuinely believe that Thanos was right to balance Earth and the universe. Given this, they might be inspired and try to replicate it in any way they can.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd.
Let us know what are your thoughts on what other problems could have come along with the second snap in the MCU in the comment section below:
