Latest Avengers: Infinity War Theory Might Solve Doctor Strange’s Prophecy

“We’re in the endgame now…”

After witnessing close to 14.2 million possible outcomes towards the tail-end of Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Stephen Strange soon realized that there was only one strategy to defeat Thanos: surrender the Time Stone to Marvel’s Mad Titan and devise a means of traveling back in time in order to undo his mass genocide. No pressure, then.

Doing so will surely require tapping into the Quantum Realm, though we’ll have to wait until Ant-Man and the Wasp scurries into theaters this summer before we form a better understanding of Avengers 4 and its many secrets.

However that may be, one Reddit user (h/t ComicBook.com) has strung together a new Infinity War theory, and it’s all about Doctor Strange. The inside scoop? Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme may have a bigger role in Avengers 4 than initially expected.

Still with us? The speculative nugget begins by harkening back to Doctor Strange, in which Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One explained that mastering the Mystic Arts meant she could never see past her own death – Strange, by stark contrast, is able to see 14.2 million possible outcomes despite being eviscerated by Thanos’ finger snap. How does that make sense, though? Wouldn’t he have the same limitations as The Ancient One? Meaning he can’t have seen past his own death.

But what if Strange didn’t actually die? Remember, during his brief meditation, the Sorcerer Supreme was able to see countless permutations of the MCU timeline. As such, he could have easily “replicated” the deaths of Spider-Man and Drax, who crumbled into dust before our very eyes, when it was his turn to go.

Moreover, the Redditor alleges that Thanos isn’t omniscient – even with the souped-up Infinity Gauntlet in his possession – so Cumberbatch’s wizard could simply have fooled the Mad Titan into thinking he was actually dead in order to save himself for Avengers 4 and operate behind the scenes without anyone being on his trail.

Or, at least, that’s the hot new Infinity War rumor currently doing the rounds online. But what say you? Is this a compelling take on Strange’s bleak prophecy? Or total hogwash?