Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not without its plot holes, there are some clever theories that could really fix the narrative errors.
Summary
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Marvel Cinematic Universe theories can fix plot holes and improve the franchise, offering creative solutions to problems and complications.
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The MCU has been influenced by fan theories, some of which retroactively fix plot holes and errors in the franchise’s narrative.
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Several theories explain plot holes in the MCU, such as the origin of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet and Nick Fury’s “mistake” in testing Steve Rogers.
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Although the stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be free of occasional plot holes, there are actually a number of clever theories that would solve the franchise’s problems and complications. Since the MCU started in 2008 Iron Man, the franchise has grown at an incredible rate. Adapting the numerous stories and characters of Marvel Comics into a shared cinematic universe is an impressive feat, with countless creative visions coming together to form a vast, interconnected narrative. However, with so many overlapping stories and timelines, the franchise has encountered some problems.
Outside of plot holes, another phenomenon that has flooded the MCU is fan theories. Theories crafted by eagle-eyed audience members or those familiar with the deeper aspects of Marvel Comics often add an extra dimension to MCU projects and, in some cases, even improve the franchise. While some MCU theories were better than what actually happened, others simply offer speculation about the future of the MCU, and there are also those that actually retroactively correct the franchise’s most glaring oversights and mistakes. Here are 10 MCU theories that perfectly explain some of the franchise’s plot holes.
10 Thanos copied Odin’s “fake” Infinity Gauntlet
After 2011 thor introduced an Easter egg about the Infinity Gauntlet, it created an MCU plot hole about how Thanos came to acquire it. He later explained himself in a throwaway line stating that the Asgardian gauntlet was fake, but one theory fixes the plot hole in a more logical way. The theory goes that Thanos was aware of the Infinity Gauntlet owned by Odin, and simply designed his own by copying the one guarded by the Allfather, before Eitri created it canonically. This would simply explain the apparent plot hole of Odin not realizing he possessed a fake gauntlet, and would also raise how Thanos came to possess his.
9 Nick Fury’s mistake was a test for Steve Rogers
After spending decades frozen in ice, Steve Rogers awakens in a room he recognizes as a fake representation of the 1940s. He is alerted by a radio playing a baseball game he attended in person, and it is later revealed that the setup was invented by Nick Fury. However, it seems unlikely that a man as meticulously prepared as Fury would make such a glaring mistake, and there is a theory that explains why. He suggests that the mistake was actually a way to test Rogers, to determine if he was still smart enough for the Avengers initiative, or even to see if he had been replaced by a Skrull.
Related: 10 Ridiculous MCU Theories We All Thought Would Happen
8 Pym particles intuitively affect mass
One of the MCU’s biggest unresolved plot holes has to do with Pym particles, used primarily by Hank Pym, Scott Lang, and Hope Van Dyne to grow or shrink themselves or other objects. Although it is clearly stated that particles only affect size and not mass, it is regularly shown that the mass of people and objects changes depending on the situation. However, one clever theory suggests why this might be the case.
The theory postulates that particles are capable of intuitively affecting mass, which is why there is no fixed rule within the franchise. When a character shrinks but needs his mass to have relative super strength, the particles allow his mass to be affected. Conversely, when the hero attempts to ride an ant or carry a shrunken building, the mass is reduced to compensate. Although the in-universe science would be complicated, the theory would certainly explain the plot hole.
7 Fury lied to protect the Skrulls
In the AvengersNick Fury tells the heroes that SHIELD has created weapons to confront the aliens after first meeting the Asgardians in thor. However, Captain Marvel is set almost two decades earlier and follows Fury as he encounters two alien races. Although this appears to be a plot hole, a simple theory fixes it: Fury lied. It’s entirely plausible that the director of SHIELD claimed that the weapons were created with the Asgardians in mind, simply to keep the Skrulls’ presence a secret from the Avengers. Not only is it logical, but it’s also completely Fury’s own, making it a near-perfect theory.
6 Sending back the cured No Way Home villains created more problems in the multiverse
In addition to its exciting multiverse story, Spider-Man: No Way Home opened up a handful of MCU plot holes and franchise complications. The film ends with Doctor Strange attempting to fix the damaged multiverse, resulting in Peter Parker’s identity being erased. Although the film doesn’t explain this completely, other than alluding to the multiversal threats that are “here for,Holland’s Spider-Man, a theory offers an interesting elaboration for this scenario that raises questions, other than simply dismissing it as a quasi-plot hole potentially magically removed by hand.
While curing the villains before sending them to their respective universes was heroic, in theory it would have caused more problems. Each villain would have returned to their own timeline only to have their future changed, thus creating multiple branching realities that should never have existed. This theory offers additional possible context for why Peter had to give up his identity to save reality, as the divisions of the multiverse could have been made worse by returning these figures, further explaining why Strange states at the end of the movie that the original spell is not enough to fix things.
5 Spider-Man needed to be considered a killer for Strange’s spell to work
Although Spider-Man has demonstrated great power in the MCU, perhaps no act is more heroic than his willingness to sacrifice his identity to save the multiverse. However, No way homeThe ending creates a plot hole: although Peter Parker is forgotten, Spider-Man is not. That means that the entire world still believes that he is a murderer and that the original hero problem was never solved.
However, one theory repaints the plot hole as a multiversal necessity. If Strange had rewritten Spider-Man’s encounter with Mysterio (where the villain revealed his identity), he would have created another branching timeline in an already fragile multiverse. Tragic as it may be, allowing Parker to be forgotten but Spider-Man maintain his undeserved bad reputation was a necessary evil, as he preserved both the timeline and Parker’s secret identity.
Related: 14 MCU Plot Holes Created by Marvel’s Phase 4
4 Wanda creating MCU mutants solves Quicksilver’s origins
Although Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, were introduced as Mind Stone products, it is revealed in WandaVision that the former already possessed an innate magical ability. This apparently creates a plot hole regarding the advent of the couple’s powers, especially since it was always unlikely that the Mind Stone would have given Pietro speed powers. One theory suggests that Wanda herself created the X gene in her brother, making him the first mutant in the MCU, and that her later use of the Darkhold amplified her powers and created the from the MCU. -Men and other mutants.
3 Stark invented nano-headphones for the Avengers
One of the most persistent plot holes in the MCU is that the Avengers are constantly seen talking to each other over an invisible communications network. This seems more ridiculous immediately after Hulk recovers those lost in the snap, as the returning hero, Falcon, is able to communicate with Captain America moments after returning. However, there is a theory suggesting that Tony Stark provided each hero with nanotech equipment managed by EDITH, explaining how this is always possible despite there being no visible means of communication.
2 The vision did not revive because the mind stone had disappeared
One of WandaVisionThe most glaring plot holes concern White Vision, a clone of the hero created using technology recovered after his death. The plot hole boils down to the fact that SWORD had recreated the powerful hero, but hadn’t brought him to life until he was forced to. The most compelling theory to explain this is incredibly clever and reasonably obvious: SWORD didn’t have the Mind Stone. Without the Stone, they would have had no reason to believe that Vision himself would return and could instead be effectively recreating Ultron and thus SWORD left Vision inactive.
1 Doctor Strange wanted Thanos and Iron Man dead
In Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange looks toward countless possible futures and tells his fellow heroes that they will win in a single eventuality. This seems almost impossible: that in the infinite possibilities of the multiverse, there is only one way to defeat Thanos. Instead, there is a theory that suggests Strange was lying: there were other ways to defeat Thanos, but Stark would become too dangerous after discovering time travel. The theory posits that Strange selected the outcome in which Thanos and Stark died, and manipulated his fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes to make it come true.