The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Earth will be changed forever because of the events of Thor, the Odinson told Jane Foster he came from a world where magic and science were one and the same.
resurgence in Norse religion because of Thor's heroism.
And then came Avengers: Infinity War. That film's dramatic climax saw Thanos succeed in his insane mission to re-balance the universe, and half of all living beings were erased from reality. Viewers who were familiar with the comics assumed the snap would be undone completely, just as it was in Jim Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet miniseries, with nobody able to it ever happened. But Marvel Studios took a different approach, proving even bolder than the comics themselves, and instead they made the snap a historical event. Although the Hulk succeeded in bringing back everyone Thanos had killed, the fact remains that the MCU can now be neatly divided into a pre-snap and post-snap world. And it can never be the same again.
Isolationist Wakanda Has Shared In The World's Grief
The Black Panther. In the MCU, Wakanda is an isolationist nation with rich resources of Vibranium and incredibly advanced technology. Wakanda's borders have traditionally been closed, with its monarchs shunning with the Western world. In Black Panther, its new king T'Challa realized that could not continue. He confronted the spirits of his ancestors, and told them they were wrong. He then stood before the entire United Nations, announcing that no longer would Wakanda ignore the world's needs.
T'Challa's decision had shocking consequences for Wakanda. In Avengers: Infinity War, Steve Rogers fled to Wakanda in the hope their technology could extract the Mind Stone from Vision's forehead without killing him. As a result, Wakanda became ground zero for a full-scale alien invasion, with Black Panther and the Avengers leading their military against the Black Order. They failed to keep the Mind Stone from Thanos, though, and Wakanda shared the same fate as everyone else; half of its citizens crumbled to dust, including key of the royal family - and T'Challa himself.
Not much is known of the next five years; it's not even clear who ruled Wakanda after T'Challa was lost to the snap. What is known, though, is that by the end of the five-year period Okoye - captain of the Dora Milaje, potentially now seated on Wakanda's throne - was liaising regularly with Black Widow and other superheroes. A holographic communicator had clearly been installed in Wakanda's palace, allowing her to participate in key meetings. And when the snap was reversed, and Black Panther returned, Wakanda's restored army chose to the final battle against Thanos. Wakanda has committed to the world - and there is no going back. That means Wakanda will likely have begun to share its marvelous technology as well.
Asgardian Refugees Have Settled On Earth
Meanwhile, during the five-year period a colony of Asgardians have arrived on Earth, establishing the Avengers: Age of Ultron - is supposed to be situated outside Tønsberg as well. So the Asgardians would understandably have felt comfortable there, and potentially even been able to find ways to travel to other Realms using technology they'd left behind millennia ago; that may well explain how Valkyrie gained a new flying steed.
Avengers: Endgame seemed to imply New Asgard was something of an isolated community, but no doubt Earth's governments would be unwilling to allow that to continue. Thor: Love & Thunder hints New Asgard is developing a far stronger relationship with humanity, suggesting there's both a Thor-focused tourist industry and a degree of technological exchange. Asgardian technology will have begun to circulate as well.
Humanity May Have Access To Cosmic Technology As Well
There's some evidence Earth now has access to other sources of advanced technology, as well. In Avengers: Endgame, War Machine switched to a new suit of Iron Patriot armor for the final battle. Viewers can be forgiven for assuming this was simply advanced Stark tech, but they would be mistaken. According to the film's script, this is the "Cosmic Iron Patriot" suit. That suggests it's been upgraded with alien technology, probably courtesy of Rocket and Captain Marvel. This provides another channel for advanced technology to gradually make its way into the hands of the public, although in this case the process is likely a little slower; it's reasonable to assume this tech has shared with the United States government, not necessarily with humanity as a whole.
Magic Is Common Knowledge Too
Finally, even the existence of magic is no longer a secret. Doctor Strange fought in the streets of New York in Avengers: Infinity War, and it's reasonable to assume many people snapped photos of the future Sorcerer Supreme. The Masters of the Mystic Arts then participated in the final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and while the Avengers have managed to keep a few secrets - Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio modeled some of his technology on Doctor Strange in order to wow the public - suggesting Doctor Strange's existence is now common knowledge.
This is likely causing historians to reassess the history of the world, looking for evidence of the supernatural. Inspired by Doctor Strange, men and women will be desperately searching for a way to become sorcerers. Some will find their way to Kamar Taj, others however may wind up discovering far more dangerous sources of magic. The Masters of the Mystic Arts no longer have the Time Stone to help them identify threats in advance, and as a result they'll constantly be reacting, rushing to deal with new mystical threats. As far as Doctor Strange is concerned, the world has become a whole lot more dangerous.
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There's no going back from the events of Avengers: Endgame, and the MCU is no longer set in "the world outside your window." Now, this is a world that has been united in unimaginable grief, and has just been given a new starburst of hope thanks to the Avengers. Earth is home to an Asgardian settlement, the formerly isolationist nation of Wakanda is sharing its technology, and even alien races appear to be letting humanity access their tech. Meanwhile, the existence of magic is common knowledge, with the public able to easily recognize homages to Doctor Strange. All these changes mean the MCU's future will be fascinating - and no doubt the differences between the MCU and our world will only grow during Phase 4.
