Marvel Cinematic Universe spoilers follow.
A Marvel fan has shared their theory about the recent Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailers, claiming they contain hidden on-screen codes. You know, as if the MCU wasn’t intricate enough already…
The clips were exclusively shown in cinemas before the screening of Avatar: Fire and Ash, and featured Captain America, Thor, the X-Men and the Wakandans. Once they had been released, directing duo The Russo Brothers urged fans to “pay attention” as the clips were in fact “stories and “clues”.
“What you’ve been watching for the last four weeks… are not teasers. Or trailers. They are stories. They are clues… Pay attention. #DoomsdayHasBegun,” they said on Instagram.
Taking to Reddit, one eagle-eyed and knowledgeable fan announced that they had “cracked the code” within the clips, and they duly delivered their theory ahead of the film’s release in December.
“The code tells us that Doomsday is the direct consequence of the Time Heist,” they explained. “Every timestamp points to a moment where the Avengers meddled with time, creating the fractured multiverse that Doctor Doom will likely seek to repair or rule.”
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The timestamps briefly feature at the end of each teaser, before countdowns to the film’s release date appear in their place. In the clip featuring Steve Rogers, the code “1e:24ber:02020” flashes on screen, which the user believes corresponds to a timestamp in Avengers: Endgame.
“Timestamp: 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, 20 Seconds,” they clarified. “The Scene: Bruce Banner (Hulk) is speaking to The Ancient One on the roof of the Sanctum Sanctorum during the Time Heist.
“The Significance: The Ancient One warns Bruce that removing an Infinity Stone creates a branched reality that can lead to darkness and suffering. This confirms that Steve’s mission to return the stones (and his subsequent decision to stay in the past) is central to the conflict. It suggests his actions may have inadvertently triggered an incursion.”
The post goes on to detail each of the remaining three codes (1e:17ber:02020, 1e:11ber:02020, 1e:04ber:02020) and their corresponding Endgame timestamps, explaining their significance to the Time Heist.
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Some fellow Reddit users weren’t convinced by the theory, however, with one writing: “This isn’t it. The three constants in all of the codes are 02020, 1e and ber. I’m confident they aren’t using time stamps, it doesn’t make any sense that the time stamps are all at the exact same second mark.”
“I think the first two are spot on, the other two seem like a reach, maybe they should point to other movies?” suggested another, while a third added: “I really don’t think so. I feel like you could derive meaning from any timestamp. why are we assuming 02020 means 20 seconds?”
Could the original poster be onto something, or is the true meaning yet to be revealed?
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 18 December.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a “telly addict” since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.