Avengers: Endgame Doomed Red Skull to an Eternity Worse Than Death

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In the climax of “Avengers: Endgame”, it seems one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most detested villains, The Red Skull, is condemned to a punishment more severe than death. Originally introduced as Captain America’s main antagonist in both comics and the MCU during “Captain America: The First Avenger”, The Red Skull resurfaced seven years later in “Avengers: Infinity War”. After apparently being vaporized by the Tesseract (known as the Space Stone in the MCU), “Infinity War” discloses that Johann Schmidt was instead transported to Vormir and afflicted with a curse, requiring him to safeguard the Soul Stone. With his ambitious schemes now unattainable, The Red Skull merely guides visitors towards the Stone.

Absolutely, getting the Soul Gem isn’t a walk in the park; it demands a heart-wrenching sacrifice – giving up someone you cherish deeply to claim it. In the primary universe, Thanos killed his daughter, Gamora, for this gem, while in an alternate 1985, Black Widow sacrificed herself for Clint Barton (Hawkeye) to acquire it. The main MCU’s Soul Gem would be used by Thanos to eliminate half of all life across the universe instantaneously, whereas the one from the alternate timeline would enter the primary universe to restore everyone.

Avengers: Endgame’s Ending Saw Steve Rogers Return The Infinity Stones

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but imagine myself stepping into the boots of Captain America, tasked with a mission post-Endgame: retrieving and returning all the Infinity Stones that were stolen. This journey undoubtedly would have led me to the mystical location of Vormir, a timeline-twisted place where I’d return the Soul Stone, possibly crossing paths with the Red Skull for the first time since our days clashing during World War II. The Russo Brothers hinted at this encounter, suggesting that while the Red Skull and I shared a longstanding rivalry, they suggested we might not have squared off again in this instance.

In a different rendition, the Red Skull’s prolonged obligation guarding the Soul Stone had gradually worn away at his character, leaving him barely recognizable from his past self, primarily focused on fulfilling his new responsibilities. It remains uncertain what would happen to the Red Skull once his duty was completed. However, in the 2014 variant storyline, he resumed his task by the end of Endgame. Not much time had passed before Steve Rogers ventured back to Vormir, following Hawkeye’s retrieval and return of the Soul Stone. This reinstated the Red Skull as its guardian once more.

Avengers: Endgame’s Ending Suggests Red Skull Was Stuck As A Stonekeeper For The Rest Of Time

In the final scenes of Endgame, it seems that the Red Skull character will perpetually safeguard the Soul Stone for all eternity, with no opportunity to contemplate anything else between Black Widow’s self-sacrifice and Captain America’s return of the stone. Consequently, he will likely stay on Vormir until another adventurer arrives seeking the stone, while his primary Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart may encounter a different destiny.

In the primary Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline, Thanos acquires the Soul Stone on Vormir, uses it to eradicate half of all life across the universe, and subsequently annihilates it together with the other Infinity Stones. This might imply that Red Skull is no longer bound by his guardianship duty since there’s no more Soul Stone to protect. It could also mean he reverts back to his power-hungry nature, restoring his original self. However, he may not have a means of leaving Vormir, which could prevent him from threatening Earth again in the main MCU timeline, although it leaves open the possibility for future appearances in the MCU.

Red Skull Watching Over The Soul Stone For Seemingly Forever Is A Far Worse Fate Than It Might Initially Appear

In this version of events, it’s uncertain whether or not the 2014 Red Skull eats or rests, as his cursed existence might mean he no longer needs those necessities. It appears that this version of Red Skull is doomed to this eternal existence, a fate perhaps even worse than death. Despite the terrible actions and aspirations he had as leader of Hydra, which caused immense suffering for many people, it’s hard to feel pity for him. The future of his mainstream counterpart remains unclear, but after the events of Avengers: Endgame, this 2014 Red Skull seems destined to be a Stonekeeper forever.

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2025-04-27 23:15