We’ve been talking about that Infinity War cliffhanger for quite a while now, as we keep discovering more and more evidence that suggests Avengers 4 will undo the snap, reviving everyone who died in the previous film — including most of our favorite Marvel characters. And every time we talk about these hero resurrections, time travel inevitably comes up as the only plausible way for the Avengers to fix things. If you’re still unsure whether time travel will be involved in the next Avengers movie, then we’ve got the best evidence for you showing that’s how things will go down. You see, a dead Marvel hero is apparently making an appearance in Avengers 4, but resurrection seems like it can’t be in store for this one.
A report a few days ago said the Infinity War sequel would feature none other than Tilda Swinton, who played The Ancient One in Doctor Strange. She was the former top magician in charge of defending Earth and Strange’s mentor, and she died during the first Doctor Strange movie, dropping a massive clue at the time about things to come in the Avengers film.
We already talked about that scene where The Ancient One died because it’s relevant to how Doctor Strange dies in Infinity War. The Ancient One said that no matter what path she used to get to that particular moment, she never saw the future beyond it, which meant she would die. Because Doctor Strange saw more than one version of the future in which the Avengers win, it’s clear that his death isn’t permanent.
Why is The Ancient One returning to the Avengers universe? It’s too early to tell, but she likely won’t be brought back to life. Instead, it seems more likely for Strange to meet her seeking some sort of counsel following the events of Infinity War. And whenever The Ancient One appears, it has to be in the past that precedes her death in Doctor Strange. There’s always a chance that The Ancient One will star in some sort of flashback or dream that doesn’t involve actual time travel. Or that she’ll meet Strange in the place where souls go after death.
We know that Swinton is in the movie thanks to a comment from executive producer Michael Grillo, who appeared at a panel at the Austin Film Festival alongside Avengers screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Grillo said that “when we got Tilda Swinton, she was just a 1-day availability,” SuperBroMovies reports.
Grillo did not reveal any other details about The Ancient One, but the panelists said there was a scene in the film “that took 14 months to prep and took over 70 trailers for actors to get it done,” according to the report. That’s one scene that Swinton may be a part of. Finally, Swinton has been recently added to the Avengers 4 cast on IMDB, which further confirms she’ll play The Ancient One in the upcoming blockbuster.
