I know the age of the films may make this warning feel unnecessary, but major spoilers ahead. You've been warned.

In the second part of Back to the Future, Marty reunites with Doc after witnessing the effects of altering history at his house. We are immediately witnessing the characters entering the year 2015 and the future contains flying cars, hoverboards, hydrating pizza machines, and more. The only thing this future got right compared to ours is that 3D models are still not perfect. The shark in Jaws still looks fake.

Anyway, In part III of Back to the Future, we know that Doc accidentally travels to 1885 after the DeLorean was struck by lightning, thus activating the flux capacitor. After Marty goes back in time and rescues the doc from his early grave, Marty has to return home via a little boost from the train to send the DeLorean to 1985. We know that despite the efforts, Doc ends up saving Clara and remains in that time period to be with her. Shortly after the time machine was destroyed after returning to 1985, Doc re-emerges to visit Marty in the present with a newly built train that's also a time machine.

Ever since I saw the conclusion of this movie, it got me thinking for many years. What if this invention and the existence of hover technology In the past was the cause for the alternate 2015? As we all know, even the tiniest changes can send ripples into the future and cause alternate versions of that reality. That being said, it is possible that because of the hover technology that Doc had, there may have been unintentional or intentional events that contributed towards the early development. Otherwise, the presence of this tech would not have been discovered until much later on. We've seen events of alternate histories and changes in timelines multiple times throughout the trilogy, such as George McFly gaining confidence and wealth, Biff acquiring money and power, and even changing one's fate in the old west.

There's one question I can assume people might ask; If Doc and Marty did not travel to the west yet, how could the future have been altered already? I'm no expert on time travel, but part of me believes that due to time travel even existing, there can be moments where an event already happens and cannot be prevented. We just have to understand why it happened. I don't know what the term is to describe what I am talking about, but it would greatly reinforce the theory I have (although it would mildly contradict the time travel element seen in the movies).

Do you agree with this flimsy, yet interesting theory? Do you have any better interpretations or opinions on the subject?

Comments

EastwoodRavine85 t1_j6eeema wrote on January 29, 2023 at 7:37 PM

It's all moot, BttF 2015 isn't our future, it's what the future was supposed to be in their 2015. It's also obviously a work of fiction since no actual DeLorean made it to 88mph without the PRV engine blowing up

Poorly-Drawn-Beagle t1_j6eum6j wrote on January 29, 2023 at 9:16 PM

You imagine Doc had an Edsel in the 50s? Same general story, car of the future that wound up sucking ass.

EastwoodRavine85 t1_j6evenl wrote on January 29, 2023 at 9:21 PM

He drove a '49 Packard 👍 https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2019/01/10/great-scott-doc-browns-packard-convertible-comes-up-for-auction

Poorly-Drawn-Beagle t1_j6e8suz wrote on January 29, 2023 at 7:00 PM

There's already a bonus DVD feature where Doc has to change 2015 because it's going to destroy the world or something

Though I guess that means he's lost access to Mr. Fusion?

RuggedTheDragon OP t1_j6ec33k wrote on January 29, 2023 at 7:21 PM

I never saw that feature.

Poorly-Drawn-Beagle t1_j6ecji9 wrote on January 29, 2023 at 7:24 PM

Go watch Doc Brown Saves The World, I'm sure it's been clipped on YouTube by now.

SuperNntendoChlmers t1_j6efviy wrote on January 29, 2023 at 7:46 PM

There's a lot of theories that could fit. Ultimately I think an unaltered 2015 had to exist in order for the hoverboard technology to exist. The only way Doc could have altered the future would be if he made the techology available or known, and more than likely he'd have (somehow) built that train in secrecy to what it actually did, and he and clara visit timelines without disturbing them as much as possible.

Changing the future in the future never made sense anyways. If Doc was willing to go through all that to fix Marty's life, he'd have done him one better and just stopped him from racing and crashing into the rolls royce as a freebie.

the_spongmonkey t1_j6exk0r wrote on January 29, 2023 at 9:34 PM

I think the term you’re looking for is the bootstrap paradox aka causal loop

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_loop

RuggedTheDragon OP t1_j6eyfi2 wrote on January 29, 2023 at 9:39 PM

Interesting to see this. I heard of this theory before, but I forgot how it exactly worked. In other words, it's kind of like what happened with Fry from Futurama and the explanation of his existence lol.