A new fan theory dives deeper into how Thanos might have met Tony Stark. Could they have met in the past during time travel events?
The interactions between Thanos and Iron Man in Avengers: Infinity War are tense and dramatic, not to mention very stressful for many fans of Tony Stark. Tony has been worried about the world-ending events that transpired in Infinity War since the Battle of New York in the first Avengers movie. Fans will remember that Thanos knows and recognizes Tony when they meet on Titan.
According to Joe Russo, Tony Stark is known to Thanos because of the events in The Avengers. When Tony carries the nuclear warhead into space, ending the battle and also destroying a large portion of Thanos’ army in the process, Thanos becomes aware of his existence and the possible threat Tony poses. This explanation given in the Infinity War commentary explains how Thanos knows of Tony and how his reputation precedes him, not just on earth but in the entire galaxy.
As fans anticipate (and dread) Avengers 4, fan theories are constantly being discussed and dissected. We are all pretty sure that time travel will play a role in undoing what happened in Infinity War. Many of the fan theories revolve around time travel and the Time Stone and how it could play into events moving forward and events from the past. The set photos from Avengers 4 have fans even more sure that the Battle of New York will be revisited.
According to a fan theory on Reddit, Tony Stark might have used the Time Stone to meet and confront Thanos years before the event on Titan in Infinity War. According to this theory, this would explain how Thanos was able to recognize Tony’s face as well as his name. Of course, there is probably another explanation for how Thanos recognized Tony’s face, but this is a fun thought exercise to think about.
Fans have suggested that Tony possibly travels back to 2012 and confronts Thanos in space before or after the nuclear warhead is deployed. While none of this is confirmed, speculation is fun and keeps our minds occupied until the movie is released.
What do you think? Do you have any fan theories about time travel in Avengers 4? What do you think the fate of Tony Stark will be?
(H/T to CBR)