Was Dr Strange giving away the time stone a master plan? Wild Infinity War theory plots Captain Marvel connection
In 'Avengers: Infinity War,' the series of tragic events begin with Bruce Banner dropping by at Stephen Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum. The pair, along with Wong, is then joined by Tony Stark, and the next thing we know is that Earth is under attack.
During the catastrophic moment, threatened by the forces of The Black Order, Dr Strange feels it necessary to make it clear that if it comes to saving Stark or Peter Parker, he would choose the Time Stone.
This scene, followed by a lot of hullabaloos, ultimately leads to the final moment where Benedict Cumberbatch's superhero not only surrenders the Time Stone to Thanos but also makes an ominous statement.
He tells Iron Man that in the million future possibilities that he saw through, there was only one arrangement where the mad titan is defeated and the Avengers emerge victorious. Unsurprisingly, this particular scene has, since the release of the blockbuster, sparked numerous speculations surrounding Strange's strange behavior.
While some suggest it is to secure Iron Man's survival until the end, others are of the opinion that it has got something to do with time travel - an inevitable possibility if the half of Marvel heroes are to be brought back from the dead.
A Reddit user, however, has come up with a detailed and more thought-through explanation, as to why Dr. Strange did what he did. And if there is any truth to this theory, there are high chances that Cumberbatch is making an appearance in the upcoming Captain Marvel movie, starring Brie Larson.
"Doctor strange knows what happens in the future, he sets it up in fact," writes WamsyTheOneAndOnly.
The theory further states. "[Strange] knew that Thanos had to snap his fingers at that exact right time and under all these certain conditions for them to win. He's setting up Captain Marvel's return to Earth. I believe he'll appear in the CM movie and tell Fury it is vital for him to carry around with him the pager to contact Captain Marvel."
"Nick Fury, knowing about Steven Strange lists him as an ally to shield which of course is how Hydra knows about him despite him being a neurosurgeon (anyone who is an ally of SHIELD is a threat to HYDRA). He warns him of an event in the future referring to the people turning to dust without warning, this is why Fury's instant reaction to seeing Maria Hill turn to ash was to run to the pager."
The Redditor added, "We should also take note that the way he says it isn't panicked or scared, he's confident that Strange knows what he's doing."
Indeed, at the moment it's just another fan theory and one should consume it with a pinch or two of salt, but nevertheless, it's a fascinating and convincing possibility.
Avengers 4 arrives on May 3, 2019, before which the Larson-starring Captain Marvel land on March 8, 2019.