Early on in the show when one or two episodes premiered, the conversations I had in this thread (something you mentioned again just now which I have bolded) had people saying that the 2012 timeline that Tony, Scott, Steve, and Bruce created by traveling there was pruned/reset after the TVA caught Loki in the desert. I found that problematic for two reasons. #1, if pruning/resetting the timeline means erasing it from existence, then it would have been impossible for Steve to travel back there a second time to return the time stone and Loki's scepter. #2, this would also mean that the Ancient One was right in her instinct not to trust Bruce, since her reality was doomed to become nothingness
edit: so in short, I disagree that the logic established in Endgame are consistent with this show. we never even see any of the alternate timelines again but enough has changed in them that I wouldn't call them minor deviations either, whether or not the Avengers intended for them to happen.
I don't think it means that at all.
Steve returned the timestone and septor, to points immediately after they were taken. So the agreement with the Ancient One was upheld.
The TVA came a short while later and pruned the timeline because loki escaped- which would prevent key events on the timeline from occurring. It had nothing to do with Bruce not upholding his end of the bargain. All of the stones removed from this particular universe were returned. The Ancient One keeping the time stone would not have saved the reality from the TVA. It would have just doomed (atleast) 2 timelines instead of one- assuming Loki still escape and the gang never got their hands on a timestone.
Bottom line is, TVA has pruned countless realities, and much of the time it has nothing to do with Avengers or Infinity stones. That means there of probably countless examples of heroes doing what they need to do in order to save their reality only to have the TVA wipe it out anyway because they dont like how some random individual is proceeding through life.
Also what you or I would call minor/major deviations is irrelevant. It boils down to what the TVA deems to be a problematic deviation for what whatever their ultimate goal is. It's clear they allow some massive deviations in some instances, and act on minor deviations in other instances. They aren't exactly a fair or impartial organization.
Also in Endgame, didn't the Ancient One say that branches only happen when an Infinity Stone is involved? Even if the TVA is lying, that's clearly not the case.
No she said permanently removing a stone would send a branch reality on a dark path.
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