If going back in time and making changes doesn't affect the current timeline (i.e., "it doesn't work like Back to the Future"), then why, at the end of the movie, does Cap have to go back in time to return the stones and Mjolnir?
It didn't make sense how Hawkeye sacrificed red hair when I thought it had to be someone very special to you like a wife or daughter
It wasn't about the audience's timeline, but according to The Ancient One, her timeline. If the time stone is missing, her timeline goes into disarray. Banner Hulk posited that if the stones are returned at the exact moment, alternate timelines won't be created.
But if "it doesn't work like Back to the Future" there's no need to be concerned about repairing a timeline, right? That's why it's okay for Cap to fight himself and Thor to take Mjolnir. No problem! Don't worry - it won't affect the timeline.
I think that was a conversation before meeting the Ancient One. Then she went into Back to the Future mode. And it's not just about the world of the audience's Avengers, but it's about messing with other timelines and having those worlds suck.
Okay.... so, which one is it? Going back in time and making changes DOES change timelines; it IS like Back to the Future, and they DO need to be repaired? (Cap vs. Cap screws up timelines; Thor taking Mjolnir screws up timelines; taking the stones screws up timelines, and the stones need to be taken back to repair the timeline; ) OR Going back in time and making changes DOESN'T change timelines; it ISN'T like Back to the Future, and they DON'T need to be repaired? (Cap vs. Cap doesn't screw up timelines; Thor taking Mjolnir doesn't screw up timelines; taking the stones doesn't screw up timelines, and the stones DON'T need to be taken back to repair the timeline; )
I think it's 2 things together: it doesn't screw up your own future because that's you and your past has already happened; however, it screws up a path for another version of you (life without the time stone). Supposedly if you replace the stones immediately to when they were taken, Cap vs Cap never happens. But yes, there are still plot holes.
cap vs cap was epical. tho i thought the older cap would win since he was more battle hardened. and america's ass kinda looks small. different than say, asguard's ass... which we all know belongs to teh seckdy queen valkyrie.
It doesn't screw up anything, it creates an alternate universe according to the movie explanation. There's an alternate universe that has 4 caps in it at one point apparently (the 2 fighting, +1 returning mjolnir / the stone +1 living his life out with Peggy).
But then how does Cap make it to our reality by just growing old? I think the alternate universe problem gets solved by infinity stone replacement, according to Banner and The Ancient One. I remember that scene in NYC fighting off Loki's invaders, where Ancient One shows the divergent path once the stone is taken, but then Banner shows that 2nd path goes back to unison with the original path if the stones are immediately replaced. So alternate paths are possible, but also preventable with time travel. I'm willing to be wrong. Nothing matters today except for a Game 6 win.
The things you do in another timeline does change it. It's just that once you leave, you're not in it, so you don't care and it doesn't affect anyone back in your original timeline. But the Ancient One only agreed to give up the stone under the condition that they come back and fix her timeline. They didn't need to - they could have just screwed her over and let her timeline be a mess, but they wanted to make sure they didn't wreck those other futures.
They could use rules from Interstellar. But it's not as serious a movie so loose threads everywhere (Tony better have snapped Thanos and co back to where they came from instead of murdering them all...)
Of all the things going on in the movie, and MCU in general, i like that inconsistencies in time travel theory is what people have a hard time buying into.
It's the 2nd one. It doesn't change anything for their CURRENT timeline but being the Avengers they dont want to F up another timeline. So by replacing all the things they took in a different timeline they're hoping it doesn't F up that timeline. You can look at the two Loki's. Loki in the current timeline is dead but in the other timeline he escaped with the terreseract. He's still dead in the current timeline even after that, it just f'ed things up in that alternate one. EDIT: What @Major said
true, but i thought it would be thru pure fists and roundhouse kicks. totally unrelated note: what if in the end falcon was like "nah superbreh, you go ahead." would cap give the shield to bucky instead? or be like "hey so can you give this to falcon kthxbai?"
true story. no one is talking about blek window being permadead. speaking of which, i've wanted her (and blek legolas) dead for a few movies now... never thought i'd be crying like a bish when it actually happened. marvel wins.
