Benedict Cumberbatch Actually Hinted at 'Avengers: Endgame' Title 20 Years Ago

There was a mad scramble among Marvel fans to unearth the title of the upcoming Avengers film before it was revealed this past December. Once the fandom read the name Avengers: Endgame, they immediately went back to watch every MCU film to find any possible Easter eggs and references to the title.

The earliest reference in the MCU came from Tony Stark in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when referring to Thanos’ “hostile alien army” as “the endgame.” However, the best-known reference came in the movie Endgame directly follows.
In Infinity War, Doctor Strange told Stark “We’re in the endgame now” after Thanos left for Wakanda to retrieve the sixth Infinity Stone.

But turns out, fans can go back 20 years ago to find Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange, hinting at the title. A new photo has emerged showing a University of Manchester mug reading a 1999 quote from Cumberbatch, who graduated from the university that year. “Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame,” the quote says.

Okay, we understand that just because Cumberbatch plays an intellectual wizard, it doesn’t mean he can legitatemly see into the future and provide us with this ultimate Easter egg. However, the 20-year-old title-drop is a pretty awesome coincidence.

There’s a chance, unfortunately, that the actor’s line in Infinity War and his 1999 quote are his only contributions to Endgame, as there’s been no confirmation that Doctor Strange appears in the film after fading to dust due to Thanos’ Decimation.

However, he played such a major role in Infinity War and is aware of the 14 million-plus scenarios regarding the universe, so we’ll be shocked if he doesn’t appear in a decent amount of scenes in Avengers: Endgame. The film is set for an April 26 theatrical release.

[h/t: WeGotThisCovered]