Avengers: Endgame answered some of the questions that Avengers: Infinity War left, but it also seems to disprove something that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said about the extent of Thanos’ snap. The Marvel Cinematic Universe as viewers had come to know it came to an end with Avengers: Endgame, giving closure to the arcs of some of the original Avengers and marking the beginning of a new era for the remaining superheroes, as seen with Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Avengers: Endgame followed the remaining heroes’ efforts to undo Thanos’ snap and bring back those who vanished. The film solved some of the fans’ biggest doubts post-snap, such as Captain Marvel’s whereabouts and Iron Man’s return to Earth, but it also neglected one of Kevin Feige’s claims about the snap and did nothing to support it, leaving a big question: did the snap really include plants and animals?

In July 2019, Kevin Feige confirmed something that fans had been wondering since Avengers: Infinity War was released: Thano’s snap also wiped out animals and plants. Given that Thanos’ goal was to erase half the population of the universe, many viewers wondered if this was exclusive to humans and aliens or if plants and animals were included too. In August 2019, Feige reassured on The Avengers official Twitter account that Thanos really snapped away half of all life, but his claims don’t actually match what was shown in Avengers: Endgame. There really isn’t any evidence either in dialogue or visually, and the only hint at it are the birds singing after the Hulk’s snap and right before Thanos arrived to destroy the Avengers’ compound, but it’s not enough to support it.

Birds singing are a commonly used element in films to show that everything is alright, which is what happens after Thanos’ snap is reversed by the Hulk, but it isn’t exactly proof that animals and plants vanished. The opening scene in Avengers: Endgame showed Clint Barton and his family moments before and during the snap, and the only ones that vanish are his wife and kids – not any trees or other plants. The same happened in Avengers: Infinity War during the battle in Wakanda: being a place surrounded by nature, surely some plants would have disintegrated along with the superheroes.

It seems odd that Feige repeatedly insisted this was the case while the Russos did nothing to support it in the films, so either this is a miscommunication issue or they have different ideas about the power of Thanos’ snap (just as the movie’s writers and directors can’t agree on how time travel works). Either way, the snap was ultimately reversed for good in Avengers: Endgame and brought back some balance to the universe, though at the cost of Tony Stark’s life.

Next: Everything Cut From Avengers: Endgame’s Final Battle

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11