Note: Potential MAJOR spoilers follow for The Avengers: Infinity War in regards to the Infinity Stones and Thanos acquiring them.
The article and spoilers start following the below pic.
Do not read any further unless you have seen the movie!
Lawrence, our movie reviewer, and myself have been texting back and forth about the film. Lawrence relayed to me something that is bugging him.
Lawrence said: “So in the MCU, is the Soul Stone supposed to be the biggest one placed on the center back hand of the Gauntlet? But the Mind Stone is the last one he collects, which gets placed into that same position. Then I am reminded of Gamora’s lie to Thanos about the Soul Stone. That lie wasn’t exactly explained, and the audience is led to believe she just lied about having found it at all, but what if there was more to it? What if she switched the Soul and Mind Stones because she knew the Soul was the most powerful and had dominion over the rest?”
After my first viewing, I replied to Lawrence that I wasn’t sure about the Stones, but that I thought Gamora’s lie was that she told Thanos she never found it, but really did (at least the map?).
Now I happened to see The Avengers: Infinity War tonight in IMAX 3D for a second time and paid specific attention to the Infinity Stones in the movie.
I think the potential confusion regarding the Soul and Mind Stones comes about because of two things:
For one, when the Soul Stone is first shown, it’s yellow, the same color as the Mind Stone, and I think it looks exactly like it (though I suppose it could be argued they all do?). When Thanos acquires the Soul Stone he’s in the water, and it’s yellow.
#2: The Soul Stone is never shown being put into the Gauntlet, which again may cause confusion. Only toward the end of the movie is the orange Infinity Stone shown in the pinky slot. Thanos then acquires the Mind Stone, which is yellow, from Vision.
My first thought was that Marvel simply made a VFX error and didn’t correctly give the Soul Stone the color orange in that first scene following Gamora’s death.
Following Lawrence’s texts and having seen the movie a second time, it got me thinking…
What if that wasn’t the Soul Stone that Thanos got from Gamora’s death, but either the real Mind Stone–or a fake? Think about it. If it was a fake, Gamora just tricked Thanos into killing her and not revealing the true location of the Soul Stone.
And if it was the Mind Stone, this could explain why the color changes, as Thanos thinks it is the Soul Stone, so in essence, Thanos is using the power of the Mind Stone subconsciously as he already has it and doesn’t know it.
So does that mean the Vision really has the Soul Stone (which makes sense as in essence it gives him a soul to live)?
Lawrence is also right, at least in the comics, that the Soul Stone (Soul Gem) is placed in the back center on the Infinity Gauntlet, but apparently(?) that is the place of the Mind Stone in the MCU (see images below)?
I’m not sure if the location of the Infinity Stones on the Gauntlet in the MCU matters or not, but if it does, and Gamora tricked Thanos, she just might have saved half the universe.
It’s also interesting to note that Thanos apparently never used one power of the Infinity Stone (I believe). The Power Stone was used when he beat the Hulk; Space Stone when he ports; Time Stone when he brought Vision back, but what about the Mind Stone, and what about the Soul Stone? Did Thanos use the Soul Stone in the scene at the end with baby Gamora? Then what about the Mind Stone? Did he simply use the Mind Stone to add to his power, and then wipe out half the universe? Maybe, but then he never used the Mind Stone by itself.
Regarding those scenes that take place in the water following Gamora’s death and at the end with baby Gamora, could that be the Mind Stone or a result of the fake stone? As in, it’s Thanos’ subconscious creating that though use of the Mind Stone or Reality Stone? Or is it really the Soul Stone, and those scenes take place within the Soul Stone?
Again, we could just be looking into this way too much, and the yellow color of the Soul Stone could simply be a VFX goof, but what do you think? Are we on to something? Is Gamora’s Soul Stone a possible fake?
Worth a mention is that in the Infinity War comic (sequel to Infinity Gauntlet), Adam Warlock and Thanos used a fake Reality Gem to trick the Magus.
Drop us your thoughts in the comments below.
Infinity Gems from Marvel comics:
Infinity Gauntlet from Marvel comics (Soul Gem is at the center):
Infinity Stones from MCU:
Infinity Gauntlet MCU (Hot Toys replica – Mind Stone at center):
