Minor spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Far From Home
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three went off (mostly) without a hitch, especially the final stages of the current slate of movies. The Russo Brothers pulled out all the punches with Infinity War and Endgame, permanently changing the landscape of the shared universe through devastating character deaths. But primarily, the MCU changed forever thanks to Thanos' finger snap of death.
Thanos' destruction of half of all life in the galaxy has been given a variety of names throughout the shared universe. It's been referred to as the Snap by the fans, the Decimation thanks to tie-in novels, and Spider-Man: Far From Home gave the event yet another name: the Blip. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige recently clarified the difference between the Snap and the Blip, saying:
It came pretty fast. We always referred to it as the Blip, and then the public started referring to it as the Snap. We think it's funny when high school kids just call this horrific, universe-changing event the Blip. We've narrowed it down to, the Snap is when everybody disappeared at the end of Infinity War. The Blip is when everybody returned at the end of Endgame… and that is how we have narrowed in on the definitions.
That actually is quite helpful to clear up the confusion. While it seemed like the various names for Thanos' attack were synonymous, they have two different meanings within the canon of the MCU. At least, according to architect of the entire franchise.
Kevin Feige's comments to Fandango help to clarify the new terminology that has been welcomed into the shared universe's official vernacular. Fans were surprised when Spider-Man: Far From Home arrived in theaters, and the characters from the franchise collectively referred to the population's disappearance and resurrection as "the Blip." Considering what an earth-shattering event it was, the name somehow made it seem like just a momentary issue.
But Kevin Feige has clarified the true meaning of the Blip, as it refers to the day the dusted characters were snapped back into existence by The Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. It's the name of everyone's reappearance five years later, rather than the event of Thanos' finger snap of death. That seems to remain the Snap in the MCU, at least according to Kevin Feige.
Related: How Team Marvel Turned The Snap Into 'An Event'
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the first movie to follow up Endgame and Infinity War chronologically. It was tasked with revealing how the world has moved on from the wild events of those movies. This includes the lives of the formerly dusted, who returned to the world five years later without having aged a day. Although that doesn't mean that they came back unchanged, as personal lives and facial hair shifted after instantly appearing in the place they left off.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
