Doctor Strange: Could The Ancient One Have Stopped Thanos?

Doctor Strange showcased how powerful and knowledgeable the Ancient One is, and it’s possible she could have stopped Thanos before he snapped half of the world’s population out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War. During the time heist in Avengers: Endgame, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) revealed she already knew about the existence of the Infinity Stones that Thanos was after. With her foresight and power, she may have been able to thwart the Mad Titan’s plans far in advance of the destruction he wreaked. 

The Ancient One was first introduced in Doctor Strange. As the Sorcerer Supreme and a master of magic, she had a firm understanding and control of the mystic arts. The Ancient One also had the foresight to see future events up to the time of her death. The centuries-old sorceress had a crucial role to play in Avengers: Endgame, confronting Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) during his attempts to obtain the Time Stone in a bid to undo Thanos’ Snap. However, she was reluctant to hand over the stone so Hulk could complete his mission. The Ancient One explained messing with time is dangerous, and the consequences of such an act could create alternate realities should the team fail to return the Infinity Stones to their original place in the timestream. 

By this point in the narrative, however, the Ancient One had not yet met Doctor Strange, though she already knew of his existence because she was able to see into the future. The Ancient One had the power to manipulate energy, creating tangible shields and weaponry. She also had the ability to control time to some extent and shape reality, so she could have put an end to Thanos long before Infinity War. It’s not like the Ancient One was above meddling with worldly affairs, having defeated other antagonists and prevented known threats to millions during her time.  

Conversely, the Ancient One may not have been able to predict what Thanos was planning long-term. After all, she couldn’t see the future past her death, which occurred shortly after the Mad Titan originally began collecting the stones. Thanos wasn’t able to obtain all six of the Infinity Stones until Infinity War anyway, so it stands to reason the Ancient One wasn’t prepared for what he would do with them in advance. 

There’s also the fact Doctor Strange himself didn’t predict Thanos’ actions until early on in Infinity War, and by then it was too late. He also waited until the last possible second to hand over the Time Stone to Thanos, having finally seen over 14 million possibilities shortly before the Snap. Ultimately, however, the Ancient One could have theoretically stopped Thanos because she had all the tools to do so. He had begun collecting the stones before the events of Doctor Strange and her death. Perhaps if she’d been more attuned to his actions early on, she could have prevented some of the destruction or warned others about what would happen, timeline be damned. 

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1083 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

See also  26 Crazy Revelations Behind The Making Of Shrek

More From Mae Abdulbaki