By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
While Avengers Endgame is a very satisfying blockbuster and cinematic experience, a lingering thought may well be in the minds of some. Could The Russo Brother‘s time travel story be avoided? I’m not entirely against their idea, but I feel to use a traditional science-fiction solution to solve all problems is not all that creative.
The obligatory break is provided as I delve into heavy spoiler territory.
As predicted by the Ant-Man films, taking a trip through the quantum realm was key to solving everything. Knocking out Thanos was easy, kill him when he is finally weak. However, to fight the past-form of this mad titan means getting the help of Captain Marvel in her limited appearance in this saga. I hoped to see more, and she was hardly used at all other than to bookend this film.
I was not too keen with the idea to snatch the Infinity Stones from their place in the past, to use in the present (to restore the world to what it was), and return them milliseconds later. The Ancient One said removal in the time stream will cause the river of time to splinter. To see Captain America show up a few seconds before or a microsecond late (and even stay back in time) is also not without consequences. Can two versions of these power crystals exist at the same time? When considering how Nebula malfunctioned (she did not carry a stone, but yet her cybernetic implants from two time-lines synced up), I’m sure the elemental forces of the universe would have spasms too.
It’s safe to assume that no matter what, alternative timelines exist in the wake of this chapter of the Marvel Saga. When considering Mysterio is from another dimension in the next film, we have confirmation.
However, I wonder if it’s possible to have the Earth’s mightiest heroes attempt to restore the stones (with the assistance of either a god or Celestial) and use them in the present to restore the universe? They were not fully destroyed. When the first Guardians film showed how they are core to maintaining everything in existence, to say they are gone would cause a cosmic meltdown. Physics dictate matter is simply converted to another state. This fact is explored in Thor: Dark World; The Aether was a gaseous form re-concentrated back into a crystal. Thanos said he reduced the rocks to atoms, ergo they still function. The unleashed energies may well take on primordial existence in the quantum realm and Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can see a new group of super-powered beings finding what left to use for their own purposes. Unfortunately, they would not be The Micronauts. I’d love to see them, but they are not a Marvel-owned property.
Or perhaps, the essences that make up Space, Reality, Power, Mind, Time and Soul will mingle together and become The Beyonder to set up Secret Wars. I’d rather see the entire universe try to deal with the loss of half of all the mortal populations for even longer. The theme set up in the first act on how to move forward gets sadly lost by the second act since everyone is out to restore the past than carry on. With death, it’s a new beginning in some sacred philosophies.
To have someone restoring what was means undoing grief. While this concept takes away from wrapping up the character arcs of Tony Stark and Chris Evans, they can still revisit ghosts of their past as past, present, and future collide.
To seek help from a Celestial makes for a better story since the future of the MCU relies on chasing a god down.
The third Guardians film will have to answer a lot more questions than the next Spider-Man movie will address. Although Thanos is gone, the memory of him remains. The rules concerning time travel and how the future does not change, as Bruce Banner waxed, ebbed somewhat. In what’s to come assumes Tony Stark sent Thanos back to his time and wiped the despot’s memories. Given his desire to preserve everything that recently happened in the past five years (i.e. keep his daughter), hopefully, he was rational enough in the heat of battle to perfectly preserve the timeline.
Until Spider-Man: Far From Home plays in theatres July 5th, the aftershocks is anyone’s guess. Not even American author Jim Bishop can say, “Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.”
One thought on “Avengers: Endgame After Effects”