Markus And McFeely Disagree With Russo Brothers On Crucial Avengers: Endgame Plot Point

Warning: Spoilers follow for Avengers: Endgame.

Endgame’s somewhat conflictory use of time travel has caused much debate and confusion among the audience, particularly Captain America’s trip back in time to the 40s to live out a normal life. As previously reported, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have stood by the notion that his action created a branch in time, or an alternate timeline in other words, going along with the theory of many fans.

But in an interview with Fandango (h/t SuperHeroHype), screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have insisted that this is not the case.

“That is our theory,” Markus replied, when asked if two versions of Captain America existed at the same time. “We are not experts on time travel, but the Ancient One specifically states that when you take an Infinity Stone out of a timeline it creates a new timeline. So Steve going back and just being there would not create a new timeline. So I reject the ‘Steve is in an alternate reality’ theory.”

“I do believe that there is simply a period in world history from about ’48 to now where there are two Steve Rogers,” Markus went on to say. “And anyway, for a large chunk of that one of them is frozen in ice. So it’s not like they’d be running into each other.”