Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s time travel created numerous unseen alternative timelines in Back to the Future, and one fan theory (via Reddit) suggests that Marty died at least three times throughout the franchise as a result of the pair’s meddling. The time travel depicted in Back to the Future often lacks coherence, which can create a host of significant narrative problems, but it certainly does not affect the quality of the franchise. Back to the Future‘s shifting timelines are a major draw for the series, and are predominantly appreciated for prioritizing storytelling over scientific explanation.

Throughout the classic trilogy by Robert Zemeckis, Marty and Doc create eight separate timelines. The rules are convoluted, and according to Back to the Future, the act of time travel is ultimately interchangeable, whether it’s to the past or to the future. Given the implied but unseen timelines in the films, it’s reasonable to believe that Doc would have changed the timelines in Back to the Future off-screen if he had continuous access to the DeLorean. This provides a coherent explanation for the numerous times Doc intervened to save Marty from fatal outcomes.

Doc Saved Marty McFly Multiple Times (Perhaps Because He Knew What Would Happen)

It’s Entirely Plausible Doc Had Insight Into The Future In Back to the Future 2 & 3

This theory outlines the three instances where Doc could have saved Marty’s life throughout Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III. In the second installment in the trilogy, there are two separate occasions where Marty comes close to death, and one in the final chapter, and in each situation Doc comes to his rescue. The first instance is as Marty jumps from the rooftop with Back to the Future‘s Biff from 1985, the second is as the young time traveler is on the hoverboard fleeing from the 1955 version of Biff, and the final is as Marty is captured by 1885 Buford.

As I understand, the timing of Doc’s arrival on each occasion raises the question of how he knew Marty was about to die. The first time, it was believed that Marty died on the rooftop, and when Doc learns of this, he travels back in time to save Marty’s life. The second instance, in Back to the Future II, it’s clear that Doc had no way of knowing where Marty would exit the tunnel, and without time travel, it would likely be a lucky guess. On the other hand, the third time in Back to the Future III is slightly more complicated.

In Back to the Future Part III, there’s no way of Doc rescuing Marty because he’s trapped in 1885 with no time machine — or so it’s believed. If Marty had died here, Doc could have sought out the DeLorean and discovered a way of making it hit 88 miles per hour. This technique in Back to the Future III foreshadows the film’s later use of the damaged train and car for time travel, enabling him to go back, rescue Marty, and repeat everything. However, this is by far the most far-fetched theory, considering the speed at which Doc would have figured out this plan.

Back to the Future Becomes A Lot More Complicated If You ᴀssume We Don’t Know About Every Change To The Timeline

Doc Could Have Used The Time Machine Off-Screen Throughout The Events Of Back to the Future

For all intents and purposes, the films never explain what happens to the alternate Marty McFly, who lives in the ending’s perfect reality, so Back to the Future clearly doesn’t run on the most sound logic. Because of this, it’s reasonable to ᴀssume that if Doc had access to the time machine, it’s more than likely that he’d have used it off-screen. However, this theory does raise complications that Doc’s unsolicited time travel caused multiple versions of Marty to exist at once. That being said, there are inconsistencies within the time travel narrative, regardless. This simply exacerbates those issues.

Nevertheless, this theory makes the movies far more complicated, particularly if we’re to ᴀssume we don’t know about every change to the timeline. Back to the Future complicates matters further by establishing the concept that only one timeline is changed once the past is altered, implying that simultaneous versions of an individual can exist at one time. Not to mention that, naturally, the situation becomes more complex once you realize a major weakness of this theory is its neglect to explain how Doc Brown managed to prevent his own demise.

Back to the Future’s One Timeline Rule Makes It Impossible To Prove The Marty Death Theory

Any Theory In Back to the Future Is Difficult To Definitively Prove

In essence, the one-timeline rule in Back to the Future means that any past event can be altered, such as Marty’s death, and once an event is altered, it’s as if the original event never happened within the context of that movie. As a result, we can never definitively prove that Marty died in a previous version of the timeline, because that timeline then becomes overwritten by Doc’s intervention. The same can be said for any other theory, as anything that was later changed will cease to exist.

Consequently, there isn’t a branching multiverse of equally existing timelines, but rather a single timeline that is constantly being rewritten by actions in the past, which has been confirmed by the creators. Therefore, there’s no conceivable way for the audience to witness that same timeline where Marty McFly died if the timeline is constantly being overwritten in Back to the Future.

Source: Reddit