'Avengers 4' Theory: The Ancient One Revealed Quantum Realm's Saving Power in 'Doctor Strange'

10/31/2018 12:54 pm EDT

The majority of fan theories regarding Avengers 4 tie back in some way to the Quantum Realm. Whether it's because of what was said about the powers of the Infinity Stones, or the qualities of the realm that were briefly explained in Ant-Man and the Wasp, many fans believe that victory is tied to this mysterious part of the multiverse. What we tend to forget sometimes is that 2016's Doctor Strange solo movie actually added quite a bit of muscle to almost all of these theories.

Travel back in time a couple of years and think about the scene where Stephen first learns from the Ancient One. (If you can't time travel, just watch the clip from the movie here.) The Ancient One wants to show her new pupil how little he actually knows about the world around him, and sends him on a journey through multiple dimensions. Of all these dimensions, the only one that we saw again in the movie was the Dark Dimension.

However, in the behind-the-scenes features from the movie, it was confirmed that the green-looking world before the Dark Dimension was the Quantum Realm. At this point in the scene, it's important to listen to the words of The Ancient One, as she potentially proves some of these fan theories true.

"Some, benevolent and life-giving," she says. "Others, filled with malice and hunger."

So the "malice and hunger" comment came as Stephen was passing through the Dark Dimension, alluding to the fact that she's describing things to him as he sees them. With that in mind, the other half of the comment provides some pretty exciting context. When she says "benevolent and life-giving," Stephen is travelling through the Quantum Realm.

Most of the theories about the Quantum Realm refer to it as a way of restoring life, or holding onto the souls that were lost in the snap, essentially adopting some elements of Soulworld. The Ancient One's comment in Doctor Strange provides evidence that these theories do actually hold some truth.

With Tilda Swinton's Ancient One potentially returning in Avengers 4, there's a possibility we could get an even deeper look into the powers of the Quantum Realm and how it helps Earth's Mightiest Heroes take back the universe that Thanos tore apart.

What do you think of these Avengers 4 theories? Could The Ancient One hold the key to unlocking the powers of the Quantum Realm? Let us know in the comments!

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