- 7/6/2025
Grab your tinfoil hats as we dive deep into the most fascinating fan theories about the Marvel Cinematic Universe! From hidden connections between characters to shocking alternate interpretations of major events, these theories will change how you view the MCU forever. Which mind-bending theory is your favorite?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the craziest theories about
00:09the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
00:11We'll be getting into spoilers about various MCU properties, so consider this your warning.
00:24The Snap Created Mutants
00:32Thanos' Snap had major ramifications for the MCU.
00:36After all, it led to the Blip, the event where half of all life in the universe was wiped
00:40out.
00:41While the Snap disrupted Earth and the rest of the galaxy, what if it also disrupted the
00:44genetic structure of people, too?
00:46Maybe the shenanigans of the stones triggered the activation of the X-Gene, the thing that
00:50turns people into mutants.
00:54This theory might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
01:03Age of Ultron and WandaVision played with the idea of the Mind Stone having a connection
01:07to Wanda's powers.
01:09So could we see the MCU's X-Men be formed by the Snap?
01:12It's definitely a possibility.
01:18This super-powered nation has been home to many innovations, both technological and medical.
01:35The heart-shaped herb, for example, is a big deal.
01:38It gives whoever consumes it enhanced abilities.
01:41With that in mind, the herb could be crucial to the Super Soldier Serum's creation.
01:51You might remember that Wakanda Vibranium was used to create Captain America's shield.
01:55With that in mind, is it that far off to think their herbs could have been a special ingredient
02:00for the serum?
02:01Plus, if this is true, it could explain why Dr. Erskine never wrote down how he made it.
02:06If he did, he would have risked revealing Wakanda's existence to HYDRA.
02:10This theory is a neat way of further showing Wakanda's importance within the Marvel Universe.
02:15Isn't it baffling how Tony invented a brand new element in Iron Man 2, only for it to
02:33be forgotten?
02:34For such a major accomplishment, it's basically an abandoned plot point.
02:37That's why it's fun to speculate about what the element Tony made could actually be.
02:41Some have guessed that the unnamed mystery element is really the MCU's version of Uru.
02:46Granted, it does already exist as the material that Mjolnir is made of.
02:59However, maybe when Tony invented his new element, he actually unknowingly recreated Uru.
03:05If you look at the Iron Man technology and Thor's hammer, there are some cool similarities with
03:09how they operate.
03:10With vibranium and adamantium now prominent parts of the MCU, maybe it's time for Uru to
03:15make a comeback.
03:16It tastes like coconut.
03:17Metal.
03:18Oh, wow!
03:19Yeah!
03:20Baren Zemo accidentally made Typhoid Mary.
03:23Mary Walker's time in the military took a terrible turn when she was stationed in Sokovia.
03:37Mary and her army squad were captured by the Sokovian armed forces and subjected to brutal
03:42torture.
03:43The trauma that she endured was so bad it caused her mind to fracture, leading her to develop
03:47dissociative identity disorder, a condition which leads her to be known as the villainous
03:52Typhoid Mary in the comics.
03:54Based on how ruthless her captors were, these Sokovians could have been Echo Scorpion.
03:58That was a death squad within the Sokovian armed forces under Helmut Zemo's command.
04:03If we build off this, that means Zemo would've been largely responsible for what happened
04:07to Mary.
04:08It's a chilling connection that could make one killer responsible for the creation of
04:10another.
04:12Frank Castle made a stunning return to the MCU in Born Again.
04:16It was great seeing Punisher back, but fans quickly noticed some small changes with him.
04:33He was more grizzled and erratic, and also popping pills.
04:37Normally we can write off his disheveled look since he's always preoccupied with the murder
04:40of his family.
04:41But what if there was something else in here too?
04:44Part of his strange look and medication were because getting brought back from the blip
04:48was too jarring for him.
04:57While Born Again didn't address if Frank was blipped, that doesn't technically mean he couldn't
05:01have been disintegrated by Thanos.
05:03Look, if we get dusted by a purple alien and brought back half a decade later, we'd be disorientated
05:08too.
05:09For Christ's sake, say his name!
05:10Say his name, you coward!
05:11Say his name!
05:12Nebula and Gamora were always sacrifices.
05:22Thanos killing his own daughter to get the Infinity Gauntlet was a seriously cold-blooded
05:26move.
05:27Though if this particular theory is anything to go by, then Thanos is even worse than we
05:32thought.
05:33It's that he already knew that getting the Soul Stone would require a sacrifice, which
05:37is why he adopted Gamora originally.
05:46She was supposed to just be a loose end that he could eventually get rid of, but Thanos later
05:50developed a real fondness for her.
05:53That's why he soon brought Nebula in and pitted her and Gamora against each other constantly.
05:57That way, the two bickering sisters would get the Soul Stone and Gamora could sacrifice
06:01Nebula instead.
06:02It's manipulative, cruel and totally something the Mad Titan would do.
06:08While we know that Gore killed lots of gods as part of his revenge scheme against all divine
06:22beings, most of them were just D-list deities.
06:24Heck, a lot of these murders were completely glossed over.
06:27But if he was mowing down immortal jobbers, maybe he visited the Egyptian pantheon for
06:32a real challenge and crossed paths with their moon god.
06:42We don't really know any details about Moon Knight's MCU return yet, which means that
06:46Khonshu's status is up in the air.
06:48It's not impossible to think that Gore squared off against Khonshu off-screen and even killed
06:53him.
06:54In fact, this theory makes him a more compelling villain, since he'd have killed a god we actually
06:58knew about instead of just random ones.
07:13Peter Parker's parents died in 9-11.
07:22The MCU took an interesting less-is-more approach with their version of Spider-Man's backstory.
07:26We didn't get much information about Uncle Ben, and we got even less info about Peter's
07:31parents.
07:32His folks haven't always been a focal point of Spider-Man lore, but one theory provides
07:35some interesting ideas for what could have happened to them.
07:38Given how old Peter was at the start of Homecoming, some have speculated that his parents passed away
07:42because of 9-11.
07:56If the MCU added an historical event like this to Peter's family background, it'd recontextualise
08:01a lot of his past.
08:02But even though it could definitely be a plausible explanation for their absence in Peter's life,
08:07it's obviously a pretty wild theory, and one that might never get confirmed.
08:11When the Eternals discover that they aren't meant to be Earth's saviors, but instead,
08:38of its destroyers, they put together a last-ditch effort to save the planet.
08:42This leads to Phastos creating powerful bands for them, that kind of look like the Mandarin's
08:46Ten Rings.
08:47The similarities got heads turning, to say the least.
08:58One theory even claimed that the Eternals were actually the ones who invented the Ten Rings.
09:02Phastos could have easily created them thousands of years ago, where they'd eventually be discovered
09:06by Wenwu.
09:08Considering how important the Ten Rings are, this theory would make Phastos look like even
09:12more of a great inventor.
09:13It'd also enrich the history of the Ten Rings, by infusing it with the mythology of the Eternals.
09:18So, he appropriated the Ten Rings, my Ten Rings, but because he didn't know my actual name,
09:25he invented a new one.
09:27Do you know the name he chose?
09:31The Mandarin.
09:32This is a theory that we can fully admit is a bit of a stretch.
09:47However, it is a super fun theory, nonetheless.
09:50An argument can be made that Thanos' name is actually a giant clue for where the Infinity
09:54Stones are.
09:55The theory treats his name as an acronym.
09:57The first three letters stand for Tesseract, Heart and Aether, while the last three stand
10:02for Necklace, Orb and Scepter.
10:04When you put all of those nitty gritty details together, it roughly lists out the locations
10:08of the Infinity Stones.
10:18There's not an exact science to this theory, sure, but the idea that the Infinity Stones
10:22are so connected to Thanos, that even his name is essentially a map for them, is a really
10:26interesting idea.
10:31When Peter was initially introduced to the MCU, we kind of skimmed right past his family
10:49origins.
10:50By the time No Way Home ended, we still didn't know what happened to his parents.
10:54But some fans have theorised that Peter shares a dark similarity with his mentor, Tony Stark.
10:58They believe that the parents of both heroes were killed by the Winter Soldier.
11:12According to the theory, Peter's mother and father worked for S.H.I.E.L.D.
11:16After they discovered HYDRA agents had infiltrated the organisation, Bucky Barnes was sent to assassinate
11:21them both.
11:22This theory would definitely add a dark undertone to Peter's fight with the Winter Soldier in
11:26Civil War.
11:39Although Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. referenced Marvel movies, the show felt disconnected from
11:43the MCU.
11:44None of the main characters appeared in the movies, and the Avengers didn't know Coulson
11:47came back to life.
11:49Additionally, the show's major public conflicts weren't really referenced in films.
11:53After years of confusion, the multiverse may have cleared things up.
11:57Theorists speculate that S.H.I.E.L.D. takes place in a completely different timeline.
12:06Although Coulson died in the original Avengers, there might be a very similar branch reality
12:11where he lived.
12:12This would explain how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can feel connected to the MCU while having
12:16a few key differences.
12:30Doctor Strange used a time loop to prevent Dormammu from attacking Earth.
12:34But what if losing was part of the villain's plan?
12:37Before fighting the Doctor, Dormammu may have had his disciples scope out universal threats.
12:42Maybe the Dark Dimension villain learned about the Mad Titan's hunger to complete the Infinity
12:46Gauntlet.
12:47Once Dormammu encountered the Time Stone, he realized how to get rid of the Doctor.
13:00The villain pretended to bargain because of the cosmic item, to convince Strange to keep
13:04it close.
13:05He knew it would be a matter of time before the Doctor and Thanos collided.
13:08So, the Dark Dimension villain waited to see his foe fall.
13:12Since the Time Stone's gone, Dormammu's bargain would have been extremely successful.
13:30This is both a conspiracy theory in the MCU, and out of it.
13:33Following Avengers Endgame, Steve Rogers goes back in time, lives a full life and becomes
13:37an old man.
13:38But the public is told he died during the battle with Thanos.
13:41However, most people don't buy it.
13:43And to be fair, it wouldn't be the first time everyone thought Cap was dead and he
13:47turned out to be alive.
13:54One of the more outlandish theories within the universe says that he's residing in a
13:57secret base on the moon.
14:00This could just be a running joke in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
14:03However, we have seen live-action Marvel characters live on the moon before.
14:07Will Cap ever confirm that's where he lives today?
14:10Look, we all wish Iron Man had never died, even if the way it happened was awesome.
14:23But some fans suggest that he didn't die, completely.
14:26In the comics, Tony survives as an artificial intelligence, much like those he installs in
14:30his suits.
14:31The live-action movies have already provided a villain that survived through digital means.
14:36And supporters of this theory point to the moment where his hologram purposely turns to
14:40his daughter during his last message to her.
14:47Was that advanced tech, or did his digital consciousness just want to look at Morgan directly?
14:52Maybe the answer will finally be revealed when we hear Tony snarking at someone for wearing
14:56one of his Iron Man suits.
14:59The conclusion of Spider- Far From Home reveals the Nick Fury we've been following in the film
15:19is actually the Skrull Talos.
15:22Fury met the shape-shifting alien back in Captain Marvel.
15:24After this reveal, we learn that the real Fury is out in space.
15:28So, fans began to question when exactly the switch took place.
15:32One theory posits that it took place sometime before Avengers Age of Ultron.
15:36This is due to a surprisingly minor detail.
15:39In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers demands Fury provide her with a detail a Skrull would never
15:44know.
15:45However, in Age of Ultron, Fury is seen eating bread that has a diagonal cut.
15:57Did Fury's tastes change, or was Talos already impersonating him?
16:02And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction.
16:20While the directors of Avengers Endgame have confirmed that Nebula didn't know a loved
16:25one needed to be sacrificed to obtain the Soul Stone, fans have their doubts.
16:29Some have posited that she told Tony about what happened on Vormir while they were stranded
16:33together.
16:34When it came time for the heroes to retrieve the stones, Iron Man and Nebula knew which
16:38duo to send.
16:49After all, while all the Avengers are close, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff have known
16:53each other the longest and have one of the strongest bonds.
16:56And Tony didn't want to risk losing heavier hitters like Hulk there.
17:00It's possible Iron Man and Nebula conspired to sacrifice a friend to guarantee the Soul
17:05Stone was acquired.
17:05Thanos' goal was to curb overpopulation in the universe by erasing half of all life.
17:23He also explains that his own world fell to ruin because of this issue.
17:26However, some fans theorize there was more to it than that.
17:30In Eternals, we learn that Celestials are huge beings that emerge from planets when enough
17:34intelligent life forms on them.
17:36Their births destroy worlds.
17:38However, the Thanos snap delayed the emergence on Earth because the population was temporarily
17:43reduced.
17:50Given that the Big Bad's brother isn't eternal, it seems plausible that Thanos knew about Celestials.
17:55What if the Mad Titan's goal was to stop the destruction of entire planets by preventing
17:59their populations from getting big enough to let the cosmic beings emerge?
18:17Despite Doctor Strange seeing millions of possible outcomes of the Avengers' fight against Thanos,
18:21the Good Sorcerer claims that they only succeeded in one of them.
18:24By now, everyone and their mother has pointed out the obvious, that's incredibly unlikely.
18:29Fans have thought up plenty of possible magical and non-magical ways that Thanos could have
18:33been defeated.
18:34Some believe none of those takes were used because Strange may have lied intentionally.
18:50Strange may have seen outcomes where there were more Avenger casualties.
18:53Maybe the Doctor saw timelines where he himself died.
18:56So, when Strange found a timeline where only a few Avengers died to win, he sold the lie
19:01by saying it was the only way.
19:03So, let's see.
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19:33While Hela is in Odin's treasure vault, she says the Infinity Gauntlet is a knockoff.
19:40Maybe she knows what a real one looks like because her father tried to collect stones.
19:44The Space Stone was first found in Norway, whereas Guardians were once worshipped as gods.
19:49Odin may have known the Aether, aka Reality Stone's location, since his dad Bor hid it, but
19:54the darkest part of the theory revolves around the Soul Stone.
19:57After learning Hela is Thor's half-sister, we realised we don't know what happened to her
20:02mum.
20:08Maybe Odin sacrificed her mother for the Soul Stone, they turned it afterwards out of regret
20:12and decided to stop conquering.
20:15This would explain why he suddenly locked up the warmongering Hela and focused on peace.
20:24So are there any other wild MCU theories we forgot about?
20:27Put on your tinfoil hat and join us down in the comments.
20:33Periodic Gauntlet.
20:36So are there any better ways to
20:39use that ?
20:42For strangers to receive V-8th
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