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Avengers theory explains Doctor Stranges ominous Endgame line to Tony Stark

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange in Avengers: Endgame

Doctor Strange gave only one signal (Picture: Marvel)

Were all still recuperating from the epic that was Avengers: Endgame, but many a theory and explanation continues to swirl around a couple months after the films release.

As we finally wound up the battle between Thanos and the Avengers that followed from 2018s Infinity War, the final fight scene really was something else.

Deep down we knew there was no way the Avengers wouldnt come out on top, however Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) had seen millions of losses for the team and had travelled, apparently, 5,000 years through the universe to try and make sure there was that one time our mates won against the Mad Titan.

In that amazing scene, there is one shot where Iron Mans Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) asks Strange if this is the one in 14 million time they win. 14,000,605, if youre after specifics.

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Strange replies that if he tells Stark the outcome, it wont happen.

Ominous.

Now we all know that, yes, they did in fact win and Thanos was turned to dust (with all our former dusted pals returning to scene) many fans wondered why Stephen Strange couldnt just give Stark a hint when he wanted it and not right at the end (remember that sole finger signal he gave?).

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One Redditor has come up with a theory explaining why this was the case and we have to say it really does make a load of sense.

The first few outcomes he viewed probably consisted of him following his own plan – protect the Time Stone at all costs, even if it means the death of his two travel companions, user RobinHood0509 wrote. Hed heard of Tony Stark for years but couldnt say he cared much for the man now that hed met him. Hed really rather not have the kids death on his hands, though. Hed soon come to realise that there was no way for him to protect the Time Stone from Thanos. All of his attempts would be futile in the end.

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For the first couple of million outcomes after that, he probably didnt look past the Snap, as that was an obvious failure state. The Snap surely means they lost, right?

With dawning horror, he would have realised that the Snap was – as Thanos says – inevitable. There was simply no way to avoid it. Strange is a smart man, though. Maybe, just maybe, someone could figure out a way to fix it. He began to explore the world after the Snap.

The keen fan continued to prophesise millions of outcomes came and went all under the watchful eye of Strange, who grew discouraged.

He took a keen interest in which of the heroes survived the Snap. He knew that no matter what he did, Thanos would get the Time Stone. The Titan battle always seemed to end with Stark dead and everyone but the robot woman dusted. What would happen if he traded the stone for Starks life? they continued.

Robert Downey Jr Iron Man - 2008

It was all to try and protect Tony (Picture: Rex Features)

If Stark survives, then Stark and the robot woman eventually make it back to Earth. A group of Avengers then confront Thanos, only to find that they are too late. At this point, Strange knows better than to just stop there. He keeps watching. And there it is.

Scott Langs Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) enters the scene, as Strange sees Thanos attacking the Avengers compound, which we saw towards the end of the movie to herald in the final battle scene.

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In another vision, they believe Strange saw Thanos getting his hands on Starks gauntlet and creating his own universe – something he always said he wanted to do.

Hundreds more outcomes slip by as Strange desperately seeks a way to weave through the final battle. Finally, he finds it…the one good outcome. Stark – no, Tony – giving up his life to dust Thanos and his army, the theory continues. Strange again remembers the important lesson he learned a few years ago at Kamar-Taj: namely, that he is wrong sometimes. He was certainly wrong about Tony.

I know what youre thinking, reader. This is the part where Strange wakes up, and with heavy heart for he knows what itll take, informs Tony that the odds are slim. Youd think that, but youd be wrong.

No, Strange keeps searching. He runs through a few thousand more scenarios with one objective in mind, and thats to save Tonys life.

According to RobinHood0509, Strange tried to wield the gauntlet himself, in other attempts he followed Stark and protected him in battle to make sure he survived.

But none of it worked, go figure.

He gets down to the last straw. “What if I just tell him?” he thinks. Tony was smart enRead More – Source

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