Not a Review: Avengers Endgame

      All things considered, Avengers Endgame was a pretty good movie. Not that I will be talking about that. No, my focus here is time travel and how it is used.

      Fair warning: While I won’t be going into too much detail on the movies events, I will be spoiling some of them. So bear that in mind if you choose to continue.

      In the movie, the Avengers build a time machine, and intend to use it to save everyone that was snapped away in Infinity War. Decent goal, but it has significant challenges. The first, is they have a limited supply of ‘fuel’ for their time machine. The second, getting all the infinity gems. And third, keeping Thanos in the dark. They solve the first two, but fail miserably on the last.

Low Fuel in the Tank

      Clearly this group was too traumatized by recent events, because refueling their ride isn’t even considered until after the plan starts falling apart. Of course, it works out, because movie.

      Instead, as soon as they knew time travel was possible, the first plan should have been acquiring more fuel. Sure, the only guy in the universe that knows how to make the fuel is dead (that no one else can reproduce his work is another issue, but whatever). But with a working time machine it’s easy to go back to when he was still alive.

      For that matter, as Pym was in the military, and Captain America has rank (it’s in the name), he could be ordered to produce ‘fuel’. If the right time was chosen, Hank might be thrilled to help out Steve. No trickery needed, honest and upfront. “We need a supply of Pym Particles to save half the people on the planet. For reasons of operational security I can’t go into details.”

      Fuel problems solved. And if you somehow run low again, pop back and ask for more. That is the inherit benefit of having a time machine: You have time.

Finding the Gems

      While their plan in movie is decent enough, it is influenced by fuel. Having removed that constraint, there is no need to split up like they do. As such, they have more options for when to aim for.

      In particular, two general times have promise: Before Thanos is born, and directly after he kills half of everyone. Advantages/risks to both.

      As the stones are effectively as old as the universe, it should be easy to find a time well before Thanos’ birth. If no other source of information was available, the Asgardians might have a general idea when Titan was thriving. Then aim a few thousand years before then.

      Would still have to find the stones individually, but that would just become another adventure. Introduce new characters, show us old characters as they were young, etc. Plenty of room for a good movie in those options. Completely sidesteps any possibility of Thanos being aware, as he isn’t born yet.

      Downside here is that this could take considerable time, from the heroes point of view. Possibly avoided through time shenanigans.

      Alternatively, they know where and when all the gems can be found together: a weak Thanos has them in his Garden, directly after snapping his fingers. And this team of Avengers already has combat experience in that situation, they’ve killed him once there already.

      So instead of splitting the team, the whole team appears along with Thanos (maybe grabbing any backup that’s handy). He’s weakened, as using the gauntlet has shown to cause, thus making it the prime time to strike. Hit him hard and fast when he least expects it. Just leaves the question of if he needs to die then or not.

      Downside here is it requires more direct subtly with less margin of error, but that tends to be where the heroes shine.

Subterfuge

      Regardless of the method used to acquire the gems, they don’t want Thanos to know anything. Otherwise, he might changes his plans to compensate (see the movie). So ideally, the gems are acquired, used, and then returned. All without Thanos being aware of it.

      Which is why I would lean towards attacking him at the farm. They know when he will destroy the gems, so use that to their advantage. Strike shortly before then, with the plan of ‘borrowing’ the gauntlet for just a minute. Get it off his hand, have someone (Hulk?) take it back to the present to undo the damage. Then return it to the middle of the fight in progress.

      If done right, from Thanos’ point of view, he only loses the gauntlet for a moment. Then gets it back and destroys the gems, complete with a speech about being ‘inevitable’. At which point the Avengers leave in ‘defeat’, to return to the present where everyone is now alive and well again.

      Alternatively, the long search through the past could also work. Just need to change costumes and fake languages (translators from Guardians?). From Thanos’ point of view, anything he does learn is ‘ancient myths of lost searchers’. As nothing ever came of their expeditions (at least that he can tell), there is no need for concern.

Timey Wimey

      Which is what having a time machine does. It changes how you look at cause and effect.

      From Thanos’ point of view: He gathers the gems, kills half of everyone, fights the Avengers at his retirement home, destroys the gems, and then dies.

      From the Avengers point of view: Thanos kills half of everyone, they kill him at his retirement home, then go back in time for a fuel break, before fighting Thanos at his retirement home, taking the gauntlet back to the present, un-killing half of everyone, returning the gauntlet, letting Thanos destroy the gems, and then going home.

      From both parties point of views, they won. Thus, at this point, no one is going to try mucking around with time anymore. Who actually won? Debatable, but as it’s a movie, and we side with the heroes: the Avengers won.

      And if done right, no one has to die. Well, except for Thanos, who is still dead from when Thor decapitated him at the start of the movie.

      All wrapped up, no lose ends (Loki…). Even avoids concerns about paradoxes and similar oddities. Which apparently, isn’t an issue the MCU has to worry about. Yet they still take the time and effort to put everything back when they are done, so they act as if such issues are a concern. Eh, whatever.

      Of course, such an approach also bypasses what happens with Steve and Tony. But, as stated at the top, this isn’t about them. This is about time travel: simple method of travel or game changing strategic ability.