Why She-Hulk Ignores The Events Of Avengers: Endgame

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law head writer and executive producer Jessica Gao explains why Marvel Studios’ latest series ignores Avengers: Endgame’s Blip. As the culmination of 21 films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first three phases, Endgame swiftly became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. After Thanos’ snap eliminated half of all life in Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame saw the remaining Avengers travel through time and collect the Infinity Stones from the past. Before the film’s final battle, Smart Hulk used Tony Stark’s makeshift gauntlet to snap everyone back - a moment referred to in the MCU as “the Blip.”

Phase 4 has often dealt with the repercussions of Endgame. Not only the loss of heroes like Iron Man and Black Widow, but the resurgence of life after five years, with audiences left wondering which new characters survived the Mad Titan’s initial snap. While projects like WandaVision gave viewers a glimpse of how blipped individuals rematerialized, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the impact of billions of people suddenly returning. Hawkeye even showed the Blip from the point of view of Yelena Belova as the world instantaneously aged around her. Coming off of Ms. Marvel, the MCU’s first half-hour legal comedy has chosen to put less emphasis on the Blip.

In a recent interview with Lifehacker, Gao comments on why She-Hulk decided not to focus on the impact of the events of Endgame. Regarding the Blip, she explains how it’s already been addressed by now, and the MCU’s inhabitants “have already moved on.” Read the full quote below:

So many shows and movies in the MCU have already kind of covered that and, you know, it's been talked about a lot that it just felt like, ok so many people have already covered that territory that we've accepted it. We live in a world where that's already happened and people have already moved on.

It’s hard to believe characters would so easily move on from such a traumatic event, but it makes sense to avoid feeling like a retread. She-Hulk takes place after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while that film also largely ignored Endgame’s Blip, it did contain the dating app “Blip Sync,” as well as a mid-credits scene featuring Bruce Banner and his severely burned arm. Furthermore, She-Hulk presents an inimitable opportunity to explore the array of legal cases that would be a result of so many individuals who lost five years of their lives.

Given that Endgame was such a high point, Phase 4 has sporadically struggled in its shadow. In many ways, it’s a catch-22. Ignoring the Blip to better focus on a new story could mean doing a disservice to the larger universe, Still, the lack of attention to it in She-Hulk hasn’t been much of an issue. By its very nature, the fourth-wall-breaking comedy doesn’t take itself too seriously. It doesn’t present itself as the best vehicle for Endgame-related drama as it's geared towards the MCU's future, which is ultimately headed towards Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

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