Following the end of Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has truly been reshaped. Gone are the original Infinity Stones after Thanos destroyed them at the beginning of the film and Steve Rogers returned the ones the Avengers borrowed to their respective timelines, leaving the MCU without any of the cosmic gems in the present day.
Now, while the stones may be seen as mere power boosters or weapons, in the case of the Time Stone, it's definitely something way more important. With that in mind, let's look at the repercussions of its destruction and what it means for Doctor Strange 2.
THE SORCERER SUPREME'S NEW PURPOSE?
In the first movie, we learned the Sorcerer Supreme and all the Sanctums were mystical gatekeepers, watching over magic across all dimensions. However, as we saw in Kamar-Taj, the main duty Stephen Strange embraced when he accepted the mantle was to protect the Eye of Agamotto, which held the Time Stone inside. Now, while he and comrades like Wong would still have numerous texts to look after, as well as weapons like the Wand of Watoomb, ultimately, the Sorcerer Supreme failed at his main objective.
One has to wonder what Strange's main purpose will be now after losing the most powerful tool in his arsenal. A sequel without the Time Stone would surely see him using more tools like the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, so we might end up getting him training a bit more, albeit as an expert this time rather than the rookie from Scott Derrickson's 2016 film. After all, he isn't like Captain Marvel or Scarlet Witch who were powered up by their stones and have their energies imbued within. Strange actually used his stone as a supernatural battery of sorts to level up.
In any case, this might be a blessing in disguise, because the Time Stone was used against Kaecilius as a deus ex machina to undo the destruction of New York. So, the next time around, the stakes will be higher and the franchise will finally feel like actions do have consequences.
MYSTICAL VILLAINS MIGHT COME RUSHING IN
To stop Dormammu, Strange trapped him in a time loop and struck a bargain to keep him away from our dimension. With the Time Stone gone, and with it the only way the Avenger could stop the lord of the Dark Dimension, this means Dormammu could very well end up returning. In fact, other villains like Nightmare or Umar the Unrelenting might see Earth as ripe for the taking now that Strange doesn't have his go-to weapon anymore.
The loss of the relic can even result in the likes of Mephisto arriving on the scene, as the Time Stone he may have feared in the past isn't around anymore to save the day. However, one benefit is we could see new allies, such as Brother Voodoo and Clea, coming to the fore, realizing the mystical plane needs more soldiers now. There's also the possibility we could see Strange hunting for new relics in previously unseen pockets of the MCU in order to strengthen his arsenal once more.
Most importantly, Thanos' act also paves the way for Baron Mordo to make his long-awaited return. He turned on the fraternity after he saw Strange using and "abusing" the Time Stone's powers, and vowed to slaughter sorcerers across the world so magic doesn't go unchecked. The loss of this Stone is sure to rile Mordo even more and leave him thinking he was justified in deeming his former allies as massively irresponsible when it came to honoring and executing their duties. Without the stone, someone like the experienced Mordo, who knows the secrets of all these sorcerers and their Sanctums, will have a huge advantage.
MISSION: CONTAIN THE MULTIVERSE
The first movie took us on a trip through the multiverse as the Ancient One educated Strange on the various realms and dimensions that exist across time and space. The fabric of all this was kept intact by the Time Stone, but now that it's gone, the integrity of the continuum could well have been damaged beyond repair. This might be the reason why we're possibly seeing alternate Earths spilling over in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Many assumed this issue is due to one of the "snaps" from Thanos or Tony Stark, but it could be that temporal and spacial rifts are peeling open due to what the Mad Titan did when he eviscerated the gems. Sure, their essences still live on in the MCU, but for all intents and purposes, we should consider them absent and unusable. Mysterio teased he and his Elementals are from a different Earth, so the loss of the Time Stone could mean various realities will start intersecting with each other.
The Time Stone did help power the sorcerers' sling rings to open portals around the multiverse, so it stands to reason that, when it was destroyed, random rifts may have been opened. If this is the case, Doctor Strange and company might have to do some dimension-hopping to plug these leaks. These breaches would certainly require all the Sanctums to work together. They'd also invite a bunch of new threats over (as seen with Galactus in the current comics) and, lastly, they'd have Wong and the rest of Strange's colleagues scrambling to mount a proactive defense like never before.
For now, Doctor Strange appears in Avengers: Endgame, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Evangeline Lilly, and Josh Brolin. The movie is now in theaters worldwide.