6 Soul Stone Theories That Are Better Than What Marvel Actually Gave Us In Avengers: Infinity War

The mystery surrounding the Soul Stone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was solved in Avengers: Infinity War, but many fan guesses beforehand were actually more interesting than what ended up in the movie. The Soul Stone was the last of the Infinity Stones to appear, finally showing up when Thanos began his search for them in the 2018 film. Even after its reveal, the Soul Stone remains largely enigmatic, and its full purpose isn’t entirely clear.

Thanos and Gamora discovered the Soul Stone on Vormir, a planet described as the realm of death. The story doesn’t explain why the Soul Stone was located there, or why it required a sacrifice – something the other Infinity Stones didn’t. Marvel hasn’t clarified what made the Soul Stone uniquely important, and this lack of explanation has frustrated some fans. Before Infinity War came out, fans had a lot of interesting ideas about the Soul Stone, and many hoped those ideas would be included in the movie.

6) Heimdall Had the Soul Stone

Before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, a popular fan theory proposed that Heimdall (Idris Elba) possessed the Soul Stone. This idea stemmed from his ability to see across the Nine Realms and into people’s souls, and the fact that his golden armor and eyes could have been caused by the Stone’s power. Some even speculated that his white eyes in Avengers: Age of Ultron indicated he’d lost his abilities after Thanos obtained the Stone, but that turned out not to be true.

5) Odin Used the Soul Stone to Give Heimdall His Powers

One idea suggests Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, didn’t gain his special abilities until Odin used the Soul Stone on him. Odin may have secretly collected the Infinity Stones during Asgard’s past, and then used the Soul Stone to give Heimdall his powers, essentially creating a debt and assigning him the duty of protecting Asgard. This could explain the similarity in color between Heimdall’s eyes and the Soul Stone, though it now appears the stone wasn’t actually involved in granting him those abilities.

4) The Soul Stone Was Lost in Time

One popular idea explained the Soul Stone’s absence before Infinity War by suggesting it had been lost in time. The theory proposed that Thanos might have traveled through time – possibly after getting Doctor Strange’s Time Stone – to find the Soul Stone and finish collecting the Infinity Stones. While the Avengers later used time travel in Avengers: Endgame to get the Stones from the past, this wasn’t the original reason Thanos sought the Soul Stone.

3) Odin Didn’t Want to Sacrifice Hela for the Soul Stone

When Thanos searched for the Soul Stone, he encountered the Red Skull who explained that obtaining it required a heartbreaking sacrifice: something the user loved dearly. Some fans believe Odin attempted this quest long before Thanos, during his wars with the Nine Realms and his daughter, Hela. However, when Odin learned he’d have to sacrifice Hela to get the Stone, he may have abandoned the quest and chosen to rule with kindness, causing a rift between them. This refusal could be the reason for their strained relationship.

2) The Soul Stone Had Been Kept in Wakanda for Millennia

As a huge Marvel fan, I remember being totally blown away by Wakanda when we first saw it just before Avengers: Infinity War. Because of that late introduction, a lot of us started thinking maybe the Soul Stone was hidden deep within their amazing, high-tech city. It would have explained how the Wakandans could connect with the Ancestral Plane and talk to their ancestors. Plus, Wakanda’s built around this incredible mountain of vibranium from a crashed meteorite, so it felt plausible the Soul Stone could have landed there too. Turns out, though, that wasn’t the answer!

1) Adam Warlock Could Have Been Born With the Soul Stone

In Marvel comics, the Soul Stone is usually shown embedded in Adam Warlock’s forehead. However, the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 changed this, presenting Warlock as a creation of the High Evolutionary and the Sovereign, with a gem in his forehead simply powering his abilities. While it wasn’t the Soul Stone, it would have been great to see that part of Warlock’s comic book history included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Had they done so, it could have introduced Adam Warlock to audiences five years earlier in a more impactful and powerful way.

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2025-11-12 18:44