Perfectly balanced, as all things should be, as fans theorize Thanos is to thank for preventing the pandemic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Commentators have widely compared The Blip to the coronavirus pandemic as society saw distinct parallels between fiction and reality, but within the Marvel universe did such a pandemic hit them in 2019? Well, perhaps not, as fans are now speculating that the events of Avengers: Infinity War led to Earth-616 completely avoiding the pandemic.
The fan theory posited on Reddit by /u/pleasedontbingme believes that thanks to Thanos’s snap, patient zero for COVID-19 may have been killed.
Which, if true, then means Bruce Banner undoing the Thanos snap in Avengers: Endgame could have thrown the world of 2023 into utter chaos. Thanos may have prevented COVID-19, but he most definitely didn’t prevent COVID-23. While the theory believes it could have also split the ability for the virus to spread, there’s pretty much zero evidence to support this.
The theory also suggests that due to this blip, there is a good chance it led directly to a zombie outbreak as seen in What If…? and the upcoming Marvel Zombies series. The zombie-themed episode of What If…? did feel quite poignant in parts due to its “stay six feet apart” message, alongside many gags about personal space.
Due to the magic of the multiverse, COVID-19 could still exist somewhere in the Marvel Universe. Most franchises have avoided using the pandemic in them so far, with it perhaps too soon. After the September 11 attacks, Marvel released a “black issue” which now looks incredibly gauche.
Avengers: Infinity War is available to stream on Disney Plus.