Ever since the release of Avengers: Infinity War last year, fans have pondered what, exactly, Doctor Strange's long term plans are after willingly surrendering the Time Stone to Thanos after the battle on Titan. Many have assumed the Sorcerer Supreme is playing a long game, one that extends beyond his death at the snap of the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet after viewing over 14 million possible futures (14,000,605, to be precise) before his fight, though it is unclear how this will ultimately unfold in Avengers: Endgame. However, a new fan theory may explain the rationale behind Strange's decision to relinquish the Infinity Stone he had sworn his life to protect in exchange for Tony Stark's life despite previously vowing to let the Armored Avenger die if given the choice.

Redditor Thomascgalvin suggests that, while viewing the alternate futures, Strange came to the realization that Thanos' use of the Infinity Gauntlet's full power was a one-time only feat. As seen following the iconic snap, the Gauntlet was damaged, possibly beyond repair, and having removed Etri's hands following the Gauntlet's construction, it's unlikely that a replacement can be forged. With that in mind, Strange was counting on Thanos using the fully-powered Gauntlet to render it useless following the snap before posthumously enacting his master plan to somehow undo its effects.

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The biggest hole in this theory is that the Time Stone itself could be powerful enough on its own to reverse the damage to the Gauntlet or Etri's hands, as seen by Thanos using the Stone to restore Vision after his temporary destruction at the hands of Scarlet Witch. However, as the 2016 Doctor Strange film suggested, tampering with time comes with its own costs, including the distinct possibility of Thanos being trapped in a time loop if he potentially attempted to repair the Gauntlet. The Mad Titan could avoid this risk entirely, or it could spell out his final fate as part of Strange's larger plan.

And what of the titular "endgame" itself? The fourth Avengers film takes its title from one of the final lines in Infinity War, as Strange reassures Stark that they've moved into the "endgame" following Thanos departing for Earth to obtain the final Infinity Stone. This term, of course, comes with its own strategic implications, from a popular tactic in chess.

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In the world of chess, an "endgame" strategy refers to the tactic of promoting a pawn into a more powerful piece and turn the tide of the game. Given Ant-Man's survival and confirmed role in Endgame, perhaps Strange is making an oblique chess reference to the size-swapping superhero taking on a more prominent role in the events of the film. The Quantum Realm has repeatedly been referred to as playing an important role in Endgame, and no surviving character knows the microscopic dimension better than Scott Lang.

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Doctor Strange has seen Lang's role in the future, and knows Stark possesses the knowledge and technology to use the secrets of the Quantum Realm to thwart Thanos and reverse the effects of the snap by combining his resources with Hank Pym's technology. How, exactly, the Quantum Realm and Ant-Man will play a factor in Thanos' final defeat has yet to be seen, but before their deaths at the hands of the Mad Titan, Pym did leave behind a mobile lab to venture deeper into the microscopic world while original Wasp Janet Van Dyne warned Scott of time vortices within the Realm before he returned for an exploratory mission. It's a pretty solid supposition that this journey may provide the Avengers with a means to travel back in time without the use of the Time Stone.

The necessary team-up between Tony Stark and Scott Lang to adapt PymTech also explains why Strange was willing to save Iron Man's life despite his earlier vow not to do so. With T'Challa and Shuri among those lost to Thanos' snap, there may be no other surviving individuals from Earth capable of deciphering and repurposing the advanced technology, making the trade-off for Stark's life even more necessary.

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It has always been evident that Doctor Strange is playing a long game at the end of Infinity War, despite its cataclysmic short term consequences. After viewing millions of possible futures, Strange only saw one way to final victory over Thanos and it involved the Mad Titan winning, if only for the moment. The turning tide will likely come from the most unlikely source and, with Scott Lang alive and well, the smallest Avenger may ultimately make the biggest impact.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie. The film arrives on April 26.