One Chance

[Flash525]

Rewatching Infinity War and Endgame, when we're on Titan with the Guardians, Stark, Strange & Parker, our beloved Doctor goes forward in time to see possible futures, and clearly states that there's only one way in which they win.

This is further alluded to in Endgame, shortly before Stark snaps his fingers and saves the universe.

Now, how is it that Strange can view a future which he otherwise wasn't apart of, and was this actually the one time they win?

Surely there'd have been a time when Quill didn't punch Thanos and Stark got the gauntlet off him, or a time where Nebula took Thanos out, or even a future when Thanos tripped up, smashed his head on a rock, and died?

Add to that, the one time is from our perspective, but in actual fact it's a different timeline - it just be due to the timeline shenanigans that take place.

I'm just wondering whether the Russo's had this plan all along, and what else they could've done with that particular scene.

 

[Fincher]

Peter Quill's so stupid that he gets everyone killed in all other possible timelines.

 

[Venom 1988]

Now, how is it that Strange can view a future which he otherwise wasn't apart of, and was this actually the one time they win?

He was apart of it though. Yea he wasn't there for the 5 years, but he returns after Hulk used the gauntlet.

Surely there'd have been a time when Quill didn't punch Thanos and Stark got the gauntlet off him, or a time where Nebula took Thanos out, or even a future when Thanos tripped up, smashed his head on a rock, and died?

Probably but its not like Strange said he viewed all possible futures. He viewed however million he said in the movie but there could be an infinite number of variations.

 

[Flash525]

He was apart of it though. Yea he wasn't there for the 5 years, but he returns after Hulk used the gauntlet.

...so he just happened to view the one that coincidentally took place anyway? A tad too much of a coincidence for my liking.

Probably but its not like Strange said he viewed all possible futures. He viewed however million he said in the movie but there could be an infinite number of variations.

Again though, he's viewed one that were imposed to believe is the one that took place. In his absence, he'd not have known whether events would've unfolded the way they did for him to then later make that gesture to Stark.

 

[Venom 1988]

True but the alternative were futures confirmed to fail. So it's not like he was left with better options. He could go with what future works or devise a new strategy that is different from the other 14 million he viewed and hope it works out.

 

[Docker2.0]

Yeah I don't buy that Strange went to all those realities in that short period of time. There were way to many close moments for ONLY the ending we got was the only option. If Quill didn't lose it, they couldn't get the gauntlet then? What if Thor did aim for the head? What if Stark and Strange did throw the stone down the Cauldron of the cosmos? Just don't buy it at all.

 

[metaphysician]

Why, exactly, should we assume the guy, who is the expert on the matter and who has a cosmic plot macguffin, is. . . lying?

 

[Bayne]

Some of you guys are missing the point. Sure, Peter not being stupid could have meant they got the gauntlet away from Thanos on Titan, but that is no guarantee that would lead to a good future. Any temporary defeat that Thanos can possibly come back from and maybe even get his hands on the stones again could actually lead to an absolute worst case scenario.

Yeah I don't buy that Strange went to all those realities in that short period of time. There were way to many close moments for ONLY the ending we got was the only option. If Quill didn't lose it, they couldn't get the gauntlet then? What if Thor did aim for the head? What if Stark and Strange did throw the stone down the Cauldron of the cosmos? Just don't buy it at all.

Thor didn't aim for the head. Period. No one on Titan could possibly change that. Except maybe Thanos, so, yeah... And depriving Thanos of one stone while he still has a bunch of others just means that he is and remains the most powerful being in existence while now also being bitter and angry and forced to achieve his goal through endless, unstoppable war all over the universe instead of letting him do his one simple snap, retire and render himself nearly half-dead to destroy the stones.

We don't know that what happened was the *only* conceivable way for the good guys to win, but we know Strange looked at as many theoretical futures as he possibly could and that was the only one he found. And it's obvious why that is the case: because Thanos was too driven to ever sit back and accept defeat and clever enough to eventually get around whatever conventional defeat the Avengers might deal to him. Strange's plan worked because it led to Thanos literally removing himself from the board entirely (with a little help from a distraught Thor), which five years later allowed the Avengers to act with impunity when they found a way to undo the snap. (Yes, past Thanos got involved again, but the fact that he was a relic of a different/non-existant timeline allowed Tony to just snap him out of existence without any of the pesky moral questions that definitely would have gotten in the Avengers' way had someone suggested executing an already beaten Thanos who never won.)

 

[Flash525]

Some of you guys are missing the point. Sure, Peter not being stupid could have meant they got the gauntlet away from Thanos on Titan, but that is no guarantee that would lead to a good future. Any temporary defeat that Thanos can possibly come back from and maybe even get his hands on the stones again could actually lead to an absolute worst case scenario.

Had Thanos suffered a setback, and had Strange not given up the time stone, that would have allowed Shuri more time to get the mind stone away from Vision and then for Wanda to destroy it.

Thanos still lives, but he's powerless to snap. He'd eventually have to fight Carol who with the Avengers, would have an edge.

Carol with her powers, and Thor with his new axe would've made a good pairing to take Thanos down, and without the mad Titan, his army would descend into Chaos.

 

[Bayne]

Had Thanos suffered a setback, and had Strange not given up the time stone, that would have allowed Shuri more time to get the mind stone away from Vision and then for Wanda to destroy it.

Thanos still lives, but he's powerless to snap. He'd eventually have to fight Carol who with the Avengers, would have an edge.

Carol with her powers, and Thor with his new axe would've made a good pairing to take Thanos down, and without the mad Titan, his army would descend into Chaos.

Again, removing one stone isn't ever going to be a guaranteed solution. Maybe Thor and Captain Marvel tag teaming could beat him physically with all but one stone. Or maybe without the full gauntlet to rely on he wouldn't expect to be able to just one-shot ko everyone with a power blast and would put more thought into his attacks. Even Thor and Captain Marvel can't defend themselves if he uses the reality stone to transform them into ribbons.

 

[Flash525]

Again, removing one stone isn't ever going to be a guaranteed solution. Maybe Thor and Captain Marvel tag teaming could beat him physically with all but one stone. Or maybe without the full gauntlet to rely on he wouldn't expect to be able to just one-shot ko everyone with a power blast and would put more thought into his attacks. Even Thor and Captain Marvel can't defend themselves if he uses the reality stone to transform them into ribbons.

When he fought on Titan, he had four of the six stones, including the reality one, and if it wasn't for Quill losing his cool (as understandable as it was) Stark and Parker could've got that gauntlet from him and taken off, or Strange could've locked it away in the mirror dimension. Thanos can't fly, and without the stones, has no access to magic.

 

[SPO2 Dalisay]

Assuming Thanos was defeated on Titan. Dr Strange, Peter Quill and the two Avengers on site are still from Earth where the army of Thanos still has their mission to take half the life. Asgard, which had given strategic protection to Midgard is already out of the fight.

So while the entire universe at once wouldn't face decimation Earth would suffer from a dirty war instead of a relatively clean snap before Fury pages Captain Marvel. And that is assuming that she and the world's mightiest heroes are able to defeat an alien army with greater technology and physically tougher than normal human troops, and even those with Wakandan armor..