Her reality doesn’t collapse because the stone itself is gone, it collapses because Strange can’t use to it beat Dorm in 2017. If Steve brings the stone back shortly after Hulk leaves with it, that never happens so the alternate branch no long exists. There might be some slight differences in the sequence of events but returning the stones shortly after they were taken prevents the major disruptions from occurring.
Agreed...I thought it was pretty spelled out when they first settled on the plan and again when he was about to jump back in time. no branches would be left, because they would put the stones back where they belonged. And he took the hammer back as well to ensure that didn't cause any issues.
Well, if that is the case, the time travel rules of this universe don't make much sense. I mean, removing the stones creates a branched reality? Why? Even the time traveler's presence in the past IS a big change, to begin with.
Also, when Cap went to Peggy, he created a NEW TIMELINE anyway (confirmed by the Russos), without removing any stone. So the movie proves that your presence creates the branched reality in the very first place.
Because removing the stones isn’t the only way to create a new reality. The presence is a change yes but it doesn’t necessarily make it a big one. The reason the stones are so important because they have tend to play a big part of the universe status quo so taking them off the board changes the board completely.
If you kill Thanos before he’s born, that creates a new reality where he no longer exists but it’ll have no impact on yours. The reason why returning the stone eliminates the branch is because it’s a change that’s easily corrected. Replacing a dead baby Thanos with an alive baby Thanos is not. This all falls within the rules of time travel established within Endgame.
I’d even argue the events of S5 AoS doesn’t completely dispute this and all they did was keep creating branches in reality until they stumbled on the one they wanted.
Last edited by Arsenal; 05-03-2019 at 08:09 AM.
A change is a change. The presence of the time traveler is a big change, no matter what he does or says.
Said that, Cap is returning the stones because those realities need them in order to get their events (good or bad) played out. He's returing them to the branched realities, not the MCU prime timeline past. That past is fixed, you cannot change it.
People keep not getting some concepts straight.
Some of the dialogue was messed up, plain and simple.
The Russos:
But then …he doesn’t come back. At least, not as we know him. He finds Peggy Carter and stays with her.
So, has Cap been living in the past this whole time — or did he go and live in another dimension?
The directors say it’s the latter.
“If Cap were to go back into the past and live there, he would create a branched reality,” Joe explained. “The question then becomes, how is he back in this reality to give the shield away?”
The brothers smile.
“Interesting question, right?” Joe said. “Maybe there’s a story there. There’s a lot of layers built into this movie and we spent three years thinking through it, so it’s fun to talk about it and hopefully fill in holes for people so they understand what we’re thinking.”
There are other questions in this sequence that set up this future story…
This doesn’t dispute a single thing I said. If Cap returns the time-stone to the Ancient one after Hulk takes it from her, the reality where Strange faces Dom in 2017 without the stone no longer exists. The only change is the ancient one meets Banner & (Steve) in 2012 but the same sequence of events will still play out as if the stone was never removed.
Nor does it automatically mean that Cap creating a reality where he married Peggy prevents any of the events from the movies. It is completely possible where the significant sequence of events in that timeline are the exact same ones that out played in the OG timeline.
Last edited by Arsenal; 05-03-2019 at 08:32 AM.
The events of the movies belong to the MCU prime timeline, that is intact and you cannot touch it in any way, shape or form.
Cap returning the stones is to ensure those branched realities have a chance and coherence. So the Ancient One was wrong, the branched realities don't stop to exist just because 1 stone has been removed.
Yeah, I can't imagine how anyone would watch Endgame and come out complaining there no "stakes".
It rings a bit hollow considering everything that's happened between Infinity War and Endgame.
Unless one is expecting half the Avengers to perish which would suggest that one has no investment in these characters.
Eh, yes and no.
I've seen Rangnarok and actually own it. However, that's not how he was in Infinity War. In IW, he was back to being all business, similar to how he was in the first 15 mins. of Endgame. Then they just suddenly 180'd him in what I think was just a set up for GotG3.
I am serious and it's my opinion.
It's OK if you don't understand what it means. But, here's my take: It does have stakes, but at the end of the day, you know everyone is going to be fine. When Infinity War ended, I didn't think for one second none of those characters weren't coming back. Ok, fine, I can accept that for that movie. Then we get to the big ending after 22 films and you're telling me that only Tony Stark and Natasha perish after all of the years, events, etc. and fighting Thanos and his entire army? It's a comic film, I get that. But it's one of those things that what would have really done it for me on an emotional scale by seeing Cap perish + maybe one or two others. I would have liked more "consequences," that's all I'm saying.
A piece of advice for you, you shouldn't wear your rose colored glasses all the time.
Edit:
Read my response above. It appears there's simply an impasse with my thoughts and some of yours, which is expected and totally fine.
It's not hollow and it's not that I have "no investment" in these characters when obviously I do.
Last edited by Wandering_Wand; 05-03-2019 at 08:40 AM.
Fitz-Simmons' son from the future where Earth was destroyed still exists because he travelled with them back to their timeline where they succeeded, he didn't get erased or experience a memory change despite the fact that his childhood should be completely different now. They are also going to recover past-Fitz from cryo-stasis to replace the Fitz who died, but if there was only one timeline, removing frozen Fitz would paradox things out since he would no longer make it to the future to help them get back to the past in the first place. Those all heavily suggest that the successful end of the loop was a new timeline.
Now this is nitpicky but right after the snap, Hawkeye's family called him on his phone. Um how? They "died" 5 years ago and he wasnt living in that house. How would the phone even have service, especially since the bill hasnt been paid in 5 YEARS?