The Time Travel Enigma in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Exploring Branching Timelines and Infinity War

One of the most intriguing aspects of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is its complex time travel and branching timelines. This concept is particularly evident in the film Avengers: Endgame. In this article, we explore how time travel works in the MCU, specifically in relation to the question of whether killing Thanos in his past could have prevented the events of Avengers: Infinity War.

Branching Timelines in MCU

The MCU's unique interpretation of time travel introduces the concept of branching timelines. Unlike the traditional view of time travel where altering the past changes the present, the MCU adopts a more nuanced approach. This means that changes to the past do not negate or affect the original timeline, but rather create parallel timelines. This allows for the coexistence of multiple realities where events unfold in different ways.

Original Timeline

In the original timeline, the events of Infinity War unfold as they did, with Thanos becoming the supervillain who sought to use the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The defeat of Thanos in Endgame is also part of this original timeline. However, the Quantum Realm and the use of the Time Stone allow characters to travel to the past and alter events without disrupting the original timeline. Instead, these changes create branching timelines where the past is altered but the original events still occur in the main timeline.

Time Loop Concept

The Time Loop Concept in MCU suggests that events are predestined and must occur in a certain way for the timeline to remain intact. However, the MCU's unique interpretation allows for alterations without negating the original events. For example, when Captain America returns the Infinity Stones to their original dimensions, he is not changing the past but rather restoring a parallel timeline. This further reinforces the idea that the original timeline remains intact, even if alternate timelines branch off from it.

The Question of Altering Thanos's Past

Suppose Thanos was killed in his past. Would this erase the events of Avengers: Infinity War? The answer lies in the concept of branching timelines. Killing Thanos in the past would create a new branch of reality where he never rose to the level of supervillain. However, this does not disturb the original timeline, as the events of Infinity War and the subsequent defeat of Thanos in Endgame remain unchanged.

In-Story Response to War Machine’s Suggestion

The in-story response to War Machine’s suggestion of killing Thanos as a baby is a critical piece of this puzzle. The Thanos who is killed in Endgame is from a parallel universe, just as the Infinity Stones used to bring back the Snap victims and kill him are from parallel universes. As stated in the movie, time travel in the MCU does not work like in Back to the Future; instead, it allows for the "rewinding" of time and the creation of new timelines.

Creating and Resolving Alternate Realities

When the Infinity Stones are taken to the future, they create alternate realities, and the Thanos who was killed was from one of these alternate realities. When the Infinity Stones are returned to their original dimensions by Captain America, the alternate reality is destroyed. This action restores the main timeline where the events of Infinity War and Endgame unfold exactly as they did.

As the Ancient One said, taking a stove from the past creates an alternate reality. When the Infinity Stones were taken to the future using the Quantum Realm, many alternate realities were created. The reality in which Nebula and War Machine were sent was the one from which the Power Stone was taken. When Captain America returned the stones to their original dimensions, the alternate reality was destroyed, restoring the main timeline and bringing things back to normal.

In conclusion, the concept of branching timelines in the MCU provides a rich and complex framework for understanding how time travel and the multiverse interact. While killing Thanos in his past could have created a new branch of reality where Infinity War never occurred, this does not disturb the original timeline. The MCU's unique approach to time travel and the multiverse allows for the coexistence of multiple realities, each with its own set of events, but none of which negates the original timeline.