Marvel's Infinity War Proved Doctor Strange Can Kill Thanos, So Why Didn't He?
Although it brought a climactic end to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga, fans have begun taking closer looks at "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame," finding a few plot holes in the two-part cinematic event.
While there were plenty of plot holes in "Endgame" everyone ignored, "Infinity War," in particular, left fans scratching their heads as to why Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) didn't use a portal to cut off Thanos' (Josh Brolin) hand or head. The decision could've instantly killed the Mad Titan, saving the Avengers and the MCU a massive headache. Even more puzzling, the movie takes the time to show something similar could be possible when Wong (Benedict Wong) closes a portal on Cull Obsidian (Terry Notary), removing his hand from his arm.
The debate recently resurfaced on Twitter, as @Spider_Devil7 came to the defense of "Infinity War," saying, "Right before Thanos showed up on Titan, Strange literally said that he looked at the 14,000,605 different outcomes, and they only became victorious in a single one. He obviously chose the correct path to victory." While that is a fair answer that considers the movie's facts, another user didn't accept it, believing Strange's outcomes weren't the only possible futures, just the ones he had the time to see. "The 14 million thing is not the get out of jail free card some people think it is," they wrote, pointing out that Strange had the perfect opportunity to dismember Thanos during the battle on Titan.
Infinity War's directors weigh in on the debate
The debate surrounding Doctor Strange and Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War" is very interesting, with both sides making valid arguments. On the one hand, it seems like the movie sets up the possibility with Wong and Cull Obsidian, but if Strange were to quickly execute the Mad Titan, there wouldn't be a need for a movie, let alone a follow-up with "Avengers: Endgame."
While Twitter has seemingly never let the plot hole go, the initial debate was so widespread around the time of the movie's release that it even reached directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who gave their final opinion on the matter. During an interview with Chinese media outlet QQ, which fans translated and posted to Reddit, the directors finally put the plot hole to bed, stating, "Thanos' skin is almost impenetrable. We don't know whether Doctor Strange had the capability to do it. If he failed to cut it on time, Thanos would still be able to do the snap. Doctor Strange realized this issue during his millions of test runs."
Understandably, the Russo Brothers would have the final say regarding the plot hole, seeing as they were the ones who made both movies. Questioning their logic would be an uphill battle, but when Thanos arrived on Titan, he only had four of the six Infinity Stones. He still needed the time and mind stones to complete the gauntlet, meaning he couldn't do the snap when Strange had the chance to cut off his arm. However, unlike Twitter, we can let this plot hole go, appreciating both "Infinity War" and "Endgame" for what they were, as this debate will seemingly never end.