The events at the end of Avengers: Infinity War are still having a profound and lasting effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fans who poured into the theaters nearly a month ago. With the power of a completed Infinity Gauntlet and the snap of his fingers, Thanos effectively wiped out half of the entire universe, including several of our beloved heroes, including Spider-Man, Black Panther, Groot, and Doctor Strange.
But what if the last one, Doctor Strange, isn’t dead after all? A new theory posed on Reddit by user pdgenoa has some people taking another look at the Master of the Mystic Arts’ death. The Sorcerer Supreme peered into the future at the midway point of the film and looked at over 14 million different future possibilities, looking for a way to beat Thanos. He found only one.
After then surrendering the Time Stone to Thanos to save Iron Man, Strange told Tony that “this was the only way” as he dissolves like all the others who died at the hands (or, more specifically, fingers) of the Mad Titan at the end of the film. But, as the theory states, Strange shouldn’t be able to see past his own death, if the Ancient One is to be believed…
In the film, Doctor Strange, as the Ancient One was dying on an operating table, she has a conversation with Stephen in the Astral Plane. She states that she has seen countless futures, but never past that moment, meaning that she can’t see past her own death. If that is the limit to one’s magic abilities, then how could Strange see past his own death to see the heroes possibly be successful in ultimately defeating Thanos?
The theory states that Strange “faked” his own death by using his abilities to “dissolve” like all the other unfortunate souls on the wrong side of Thanos’ snap.
However, this theory runs a little thin, and, as another user by the name of AsianSutu points out, Strange had something that the Ancient One didn’t. He had the use of the Time Stone. The Ancient One was using her own abilities to look through time, which means she is most likely tethered to her own timeline and cannot see past her own death, nor can see prevent it. However, with the Time Stone, Stephen has the full range of time, and can see well beyond his own death to see countless futures til the end of time.
He has already been known to sacrifice himself for the greater good (it is thought that during the time loop with Dormammu that Strange died painfully over 1,000 times before the deal was finally struck), so Dr. Strange could have seen that he had to die in order for the ultimate goal to be reached.
Whatever theory you believe, or even if you have your own that is counter-intuitive to these, we won’t know anything for sure until May 2019 when Avengers 4 finally hits theaters and bring a close to Marvel’s Phase 3.
What do you think of this theory? Have one of your own? Let us know in the comments below!