Avengers 4: Tony Stark DIED in FIRST film? This time travel theory will blow your mind

Time travel, quantum realms, alternate dimensions… Marvel expects a lot from its fans as the big screen storylines approach the complexity and mind-bending shenanigans of the comicbooks.

Those same fans are applying their vast knowledge of the MCU to figue out how the remaining Avengers after Infinity War can possibly undo the devastating Snap.

One of the biggest problems with all the time travel theories is the issue of two versions of a character existing at the same time – but what if one of the most famous characters really did die in that iconic moment from the original Avengers movie and his future self stepped in?  

SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH THE ORIGINAL SCENE 

A fiendishly clever and complicated theory from Redditor ch671 makes a powerful argument about the moment Tony Stark detonated the nucear device to destroy the Chitauri armies pouring through the portal over New York.

The theory points out Tony and everyone else expects him to die in the attempt. The purple and black of space beyond the portal is ignited bright orange at the last moment. The camera cuts away from Tony falling at that moment and then cuts back when he has fallen much further.

Fans now know that the Quantum Realm and the Soul Stone are both represented by the colour orange and there have been numerous reports and even pictures showing recreations of that New York battle. 

Did the future Tony travel back via the Quantum realm with the help of Ant-Man, strand his past self beyond the portal to die and take his place?

The future Tony is then perfectly positioned in New York at a time when the Mind Stone and Space Stone are at Stark Tower and can be used to help potentially build his own Infinity Gauntlet.

It is a brutal, bold and heartbreaking concept.

Commentators immediately also pointed out that it creates a time loop and the obvious way to close that is for Tony to die again, something many are convinced will happen in Avengers 4.

There are immediate issues to address about this theory.

For example, future Tony would have to replicate the exact armour his past self was wearing at the time – not a problem for a tech genius. Also the orange colour can be seen anyway as the main Chitauri command ship starts to explode.

Most importantly, Avengers 4 set pictures showing Tony in New York show him older. This would fit a time travel scenario, but not him directly replacing his younger-looking self.

However, it is yet another intriguing theory about how on Earth the Avengers will save the universe and all their fallen friends.

Knowing Marvel, of course, the solution is probably ridiculously simple and has been right under our noses all along…

ORIGINAL THEORY ON REDDIT HERE