9 MCU Characters Who Secretly Benefitted From Thanos’ Snap & The Blip

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The Blip was a deeply impactful event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an instant, half of all living beings disappeared, and the world lived with that loss for five years. This happened when Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War, wiping out half of all life with a snap of his fingers. While things appeared normal when people returned, society had fundamentally changed. New chances arose for those who were ambitious, fortunate, or simply well-positioned to rebuild their lives.

The five-year period after the Blip allowed some people to heal and start over, while others took advantage of the chaos. Criminal organizations stepped into positions of power, those in exile gained influence, and even everyday people had their lives unexpectedly changed. This pause fundamentally altered careers, relationships, and political strategies throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

MCU Characters Who Benefitted From the Blip 

Mr. Harrington’s Wife

A surprisingly relatable, but deeply upsetting, instance of someone taking advantage of the chaos following the Blip involves Peter Parker’s high school teacher, Mr. Harrington. As shown in *Spider-Man: Far From Home*, Mr. Harrington made it through the Blip, but his wife, Tabitha, didn’t. However, details later revealed the shocking truth: Tabitha had pretended to disappear in the Blip to start a new life with someone else.

As a lifelong moviegoer, I’ve seen plenty of dramatic setups, but this one… it’s chilling. When half the world vanished, it wasn’t just a catastrophe, it was the ultimate excuse. It gave this woman the chance to walk away from everything – her marriage, her husband – with absolutely no one batting an eye. It’s horrifying how she used such a global tragedy as her own way out, completely avoiding any consequences. It felt wrong, even for a fictional story.

Sharon Carter

After everything that happened in *Captain America: Civil War*, I heard Sharon Carter was labeled a fugitive and had to go into hiding. At first, everyone thought she was lost when Thanos snapped his fingers, but it turns out she actually survived! She ended up in Madripoor, and honestly, with governments and law enforcement falling apart for five years after the Blip, it became the perfect place for her to build a new life and really thrive.

Sharon expertly used the widespread disorder to become the incredibly rich and influential Power Broker, essentially taking control of the city’s criminal network. The lack of strong international security allowed her to go from being a wanted fugitive to a major global crime boss, and she remained in that position even after coming back to the US.

Brad Davis

The Blip, the event where half of all life disappeared and then returned, unexpectedly created a potential romantic situation for Brad Davis in *Spider-Man: Far From Home*. Because Brad was five years younger than Peter Parker and his friends – probably around 11 during the snap – he didn’t disappear. This meant he continued to age while Peter and his friends were gone, creating an unusual dynamic when they returned.

Over the next five years, he grew up normally, becoming a noticeably more mature and handsome teenager by the time Peter came back. They were now the same age and in the same grade, which meant he was no longer a child and had become a real, and potentially serious, competitor for MJ’s attention.

Karli Morgenthau & the Flag Smashers

The five-year period after the Blip, marked by chaos and a lack of international control, allowed the Flag Smashers to gain influence. The group, led by Karli Morgenthau (a character originally male in the comics), believed the world was better when borders were less significant, as they felt the disappearance of half the population had briefly created a more unified and cooperative global community. They aimed to restore that borderless world.

After the Snap, Karli’s movement gained support because the resulting worldwide crisis – with so many people displaced and resources scarce – made their message against nationalism appealing to those who were suffering. The Blip not only gave them a cause to fight for, but also a turbulent and open environment where they could build their organization.

Wilson Fisk (Kingpin)

Even before the Blip, Kingpin was a major player in the city’s underworld. But those five years? They let him completely rebuild and grow his criminal empire in a New York that was reeling from losing so many people. It was like the whole system just…collapsed. The police were stretched thin, oversight was minimal, and it created this huge power vacuum. It was the perfect storm for someone like Fisk to really take control.

Taking advantage of the confusion and panic after the Blip, Fisk strengthened his grip on the city’s criminal underworld. By the time of the *Hawkeye* events, he had become one of the most powerful and influential criminals, operating freely because law enforcement and superheroes were overwhelmed.

Ikaris & Ajak (The Eternals)

A massive cosmic being called Tiamut was growing inside the Earth, and its birth would have meant the planet’s destruction. This event was predicted to happen when the human population reached a critical point. However, Thanos eliminating half of all life temporarily delayed Tiamut’s emergence by five years.

The delay caused by the Blip turned out to be a surprisingly helpful advantage for Ajak, the Eternals’ leader, and other Eternals like Ikaris and Sersi who wanted to protect people. It gave them five extra years to get ready and figure out how to prevent the disaster that was coming.

The Ten Rings & Other Criminal Organizations

The weakening of systems like law enforcement and basic services didn’t just benefit individuals like Sharon Carter and Wilson Fisk; it created a huge opportunity for criminal groups all over the world.

Because police departments were severely weakened, border control was ineffective, and government services were failing, groups like the Ten Rings were able to easily expand their illegal operations.

The group’s continued worldwide reach, as seen in *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings*, indicates they used the period of disruption following the Blip to grow their power while governments were focused on recovery.

Tony Stark (Iron Man)

After years of fighting as Iron Man and constantly facing danger, Tony Stark experienced five years of unexpected peace following the Blip. He survived the snap alongside Pepper Potts and used the time to retire from being a superhero, settling into a secluded cabin to be a full-time father and husband. He and Pepper married and raised their daughter, Morgan, finally finding the simple, normal life Tony had always wanted but thought was impossible.

He cherished his peaceful home life and the loving family he had built, valuing it more than anything else. That’s why he hesitated to return to the dangerous mission that would eventually lead to his death.

Thanos

Thanos directly benefited from the disaster he created. The Blip, where half of all life vanished, was exactly what he’d spent his life working towards – a ‘balanced’ universe. Having collected the Infinity Stones and used them to eliminate half of all life, he considered his mission a complete success and retreated to a peaceful planet to live out his days.

He had achieved everything he set out to do. The snap was initially a success, giving him a moment of complete satisfaction before the remaining Avengers arrived to challenge him.

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2025-10-18 00:07