Avengers: Endgame Theory Explains Full Meaning of Doctor Strange's "If I Tell You What Happens, It Won't Happen"

The fact Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) saw over 14 million futures was one of the parts that stood out most from Avengers: Infinity War. Despite seeing so many futures, only one outcome saw the team winning against Thanos (Josh Brolin) as he tried to raze Earth. Fast forward to Avengers: Endgame and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) practically begs Strange to reveal whether the future they're in now is the one they win, and that's when Strange says that if he told Stark the outcome, it wouldn't happen.

It's a pretty mystic line from a mystical guy, and viewers were left to their own devices on what the exact meaning behind it was. Now, a pretty intriguing fan theory lays everything on the table, breaking the scenario down in a clear, detailed way that's easy to understand.

In short, the theorist suggests Strange's saying is quite literal. If he tells Stark this is the outcome they win, that won't happen — because Strange has already seen that future. As the theory reads, in every future Strange saw, they were likely multiple occasions when the character said "Okay, this is it!" or something of the nature, which only spelled doom for the Avengers.

It's not that Strange thinks Stark would get scared of doing the snap, it's the fact that if Strange tells Tony what happens, Thanos will end up beating them. There's a fine line between the two, but the theorist has a pretty good thought process.

"If I Tell You What Happens, It Won't Happen": Endgame from the Point of View of Stephen Strange from r/marvelstudios

Now that Doctor Strange is without the Time Stone, it has yet to be seen how that's going impact his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character likely won't be seen again until Doctor Strange 2, which is currently on track to be one of Marvel's three movies in 2021.

What was your favorite show of Avengers: Endgame? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Avengers: Endgame is now in theaters ahead of Spider-Man: Far From Home's release on July 2nd. Captain Marvel is currently available digitally before a home media release on June 11th.