The Infinity Stones are not an active part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore, and Phase 4 is replacing these with the powers of different characters – however, the Soul Stone doesn’t have a replacement. The MCU’s first three phases, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, were all about Thanos’ search for the Infinity Gauntlet, the Infinity Stones, and his plans to bring balance to the universe, which basically meant wiping out half of life in the universe. The MCU brought together all heroes in an epic battle against Thanos and his armies in Avengers: Endgame, defeating him and undoing the “snap” so the universe could go back to normal.

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Before Thanos got all the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War, the gems were scattered all over the universe and MCU movies, so the audience got a taste of the individual powers of most of them but didn’t get to see their full potential until the final Avengers movies. Given the power of these and how they could be used for truly destructive purposes across the universe, following the Battle of Earth and Iron Man’s snap and sacrifice, Captain America (with the help of the Hulk) went back in time and returned the Stones to their proper timelines and places, and so the MCU closed its Infinity Stones chapter and moved forward with Phase 4, which is dealing with bigger and more complex concepts like the multiverse.

Still, the MCU hasn’t fully forgotten the Infinity Stones (they even appeared at the Time Variance Authority in Loki), and Phase 4 is replacing them with powers similar to each stone. The Infinity Stones are Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul, each one with different capabilities, and they have all been linked to the powers of characters that are still active in the MCU’s Phase 4. Kang the Conqueror’s (Jonathan Majors) time traveling abilities are replacing the Time Stone; Doctor Strange’s sling rings replace the Space Stone; the godlike powers of characters like the Celestials replace the Power Stone; the spontaneous power creation seen in WandaVision replaces the Mind Stone; and Scarlet Witch’s powers replace the Mind Stone (due to her being able to control minds) and the Reality Stone (as she was able to change reality in WandaVision), but the one missing a replacement is the Soul Stone.

The Soul Stone is considered the most dangerous Infinity Stone as, as the name suggests, it can manipulate the soul and has the ability to resurrect and conjure the spiritual representation of the dead. The Soul Stone is kept at Vormir and is guarded by the Red Skull, and those who want to acquire it have to go through a difficult test: sacrifice a loved one, but that death is permanent and irreversible. As seen above, the capabilities of the Infinity Stones can be mirrored by the powers of different characters as many of them can manipulate time, reality, minds, etc. but the Soul Stone’s properties are so unique that there’s not a character who holds that much power – at least not yet.

Of course, it’s not a requirement for the MCU to replace the Infinity Stones with the powers of old and new characters, but it’s interesting how each gem has a human parallel except for the Soul Stone. This shows that the Soul Stone really is the most dangerous and unique of all the Infinity Stones, and it’s also practically irreplaceable, and while its time in the MCU was brief, it left fans with a lot of heartbreak with the deaths of (the original) Gamora and Black Widow.

Key Release Dates
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  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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