If you are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you certainly know what the Infinity Stones are. And you also know that Thanos is going to come looking for them during 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. But to this point, fans have only been introduced to four of the six stones.
The two missing stones are the Time Stone and the Soul Stone. It is widely expected, and was all but been confirmed, that the Time Stone will be showing up in Marvel’s next film, Doctor Strange. You can learn more about that, and view one of that films’ televisions spots right here. The two remaining stones are expected to be green and orange, and it just so happens the part of Doctor Strange’s costume that is expected to be a stone, is green.
That would mean the orange Soul Stone is still out there somewhere in the MCU. And there is an extremely popular fan theory out there, that I myself find very convincing. That theory is that Heimdall, who is played by Idris Elba in the Thor franchise, is is possession of the stone.
For starters, Heimdall can see the soul of everyone, everywhere. If that is not a tell all sign, I do not know what is. Secondly, his eyes tend to turn orange when he does just that. Add in the fact that he has a little gem looking thing in the chest of his armor, that could easily be a stone. Finally, during Thor’s vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he see Heimdall in what is likely the land of the dead. Here he is in civilian clothes, and is blind. So without his armor, which is where the stone is likely located, not only can he not see other peoples souls, but he simply cannot see.
It is a theory that has plenty to support it, and I quite frankly buy in. Thor: Ragnarok will likely deal with the Infinity Stones in some regards given the last time we saw Thor he was off to learn more about them. So it would be logical to reveal Heimdall to be the holder of the stone in the film if Marvel is in fact going to take that path.
But I have to play devil’s advocate for a second. What happens if Heimdall does not have the Soul Stone? Even if he does not posses it, is it possible the stone is still in Asgard? Maybe his staff or armor gained its power from the stone without his knowledge, and the stone is not actually with him.
Or maybe the stone is simply not associated with him at all. It seems too easy of an answer. So let’s take a quick rundown of Marvel films leading up to Avengers: Infinity War that could become the answer to our question. Doctor Strange, as I mentioned earlier, is likely going to have its own Stone to deal with. There is no way Marvel would throw two new stones upon us in one film.
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That leads us to Marvel’s next feature film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Now the first film contained the Power Stone, and they do have a cosmic origin. But director James Gunn has said the film will not be dealing with any Infinity Stones. Gunn usually does not lie to his fans, so I tend to believe him when he says there will be no stones. That means no Soul Stone here.
Up next, Peter Parker swings into action in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now Marvel has a lot riding on this film. It is a joint production between Marvel and Sony, and it is the third incarnation of the fan favorite character in less than 20 years. So while they can certainly use the Soul Stone in some fashion related to the plot, I feel Marvel will want to keep that off the table here. But it is not impossible. Maybe Vulture is seeking the Stone for some diabolical plan, and Peter needs to get to it before he does. Spidey will come out before Thor, so we would know ahead of time that Heimdall would not have it if it showed up here.
After Thor and 2017 finish up, we enter 2018 and draw closer to Thanos’s arrival. In February, Black Panther is going to hit theaters. And here is the most likely spot for the Soul Stone to show up if Thor’s buddy is not the one responsible for it. Wakanda, which is where this film will take place, is a land of great technological advancements. So it would not be far fetched to have some sort of technology powered by the cosmic rock in question. The souls of former family members could easily play a part in this country that clearly values family either. So there are plenty of ways the Soul Stone could be incorporated into the plot of this film, which has a impressive cast I must add.
Finally, we cannot ignore the possibility that Marvel holds one stone back until Avengers: Infinity War. Maybe Thanos is already in possession of the stone. Or maybe that film opens up with Thanos acquiring it from somewhere Marvel fans do not even know of. The possibilities are virtually endless if they held off on the reveal.
So while I find the Heimdall theory highly convincing, I just want to point out it is just that, a theory. There are still plenty of options out there for the Soul Stone to pop up. It could be in Wakanda. It could be in the hands of Thanos already. Or maybe in a place unknown to us fans, and we will find it in 2018.
I just want to get my fellow Marvel fans thinking. Not every MCU rumor we hear turns out to be true, even if it seems to make a ton of sense. So make sure you have an open mind about the Soul Stone, until we learn of its whereabouts for sure. Heimdall may very well have it. But it is also just as possible that he does not.
Where do you think the Soul Stone is? Tell us in the comments!