Marvel May Have Answered A Big Avengers Post-Thanos Mystery

Through She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Marvel Studios may have answered a big question about the Avengers after the defeat of Thanos (Josh Brolin). The MCU's eighth Disney+ series focuses on the origin story of Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Ann Walters aka She-Hulk, but unlike some of its predecessors, such as Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, it embraces its ties to the bigger universe. That gives Marvel Studios the opportunity to regularly reference and feature several familiar characters including Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Abomination (Tim Roth), and Wong (Benedict Wong). In a more subtle way, however, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law may have also clarified a lingering query about the Avengers' operational details.

Avengers: Endgame was the end of the Infinity Saga. Since then, the status of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Phase 4 has been unclear. Despite not having a clear roster, She-Hulk made it clear that the Avengers still exist after Avengers: Endgame. Beyond that, however, there are other queries about the specifics of the team, including how it's being funded. This question was first raised in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier when Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) went through a financial crisis.

Now Marvel Studios may have already subtly revealed how the Avengers are being funded in the Multiverse Saga via She-Hulk: Attorney At Law episode 5, "Mean, Green and Straight Poured into These Jeans." During the episode, Jen's friends and co-workers, Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) and Pug Pugliese (Josh Segarra) visited a secret superhero store that sells knock-off Avengers merch. It floats the idea that, perhaps, the "Avengers" name and everything tied to it have already been trademarked by whoever is managing the team now. This allows Earth's Mightiest Heroes to monetize their popularity by selling official merchandise with the team's name and the heroes’ faces. It may also be the reason behind the Captain America Musical in Hawkeye. Whatever the Avengers earn from that could be used to help with their operational expenses. Because of scammers and bootleggers, however, it may not be enough to fully compensate its remaining members like Falcon, hence his personal issue in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

How Was The Avengers Funded In The Infinity Saga

Iron Man prepares to time travel in Avengers: Endgame

Since the Avengers Initiative was spearheaded by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in 2012, some of the original six heroes were likely on the S.H.I.E.L.D. payroll such as Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). When S.H.I.E.L.D. fell on the heels of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark footed the bill for the Avengers to continue operating, something that he specifically mentioned in Avengers: Age of Ultron to Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders). "I just pay for everything, design everything, and make everyone look cooler." Stark continued doing this until the end of the Infinity Saga. Aside from funding the operational costs, Iron Man also provided Earth's Mightiest Heroes with both of their headquarters, the first was located in the heart of New York City and the second was further Upstate.

With Iron Man now dead in the MCU, it's unclear who is taking care of the financial responsibilities that were on him before, if there's anyone at all. Monetizing the Avengers' name and likeness by selling tie-in merchandise as suggested by She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and even staging conventions like in Ms. Marvel's AvengerCon could be a way for the remaining Avengers to fund some of their operational expenses. It's safe to say, however, that it won't be enough, especially if Stark Industries are no longer helping in that regard.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law airs every Thursday on Disney+.