MCU: The Infinity Stones might be back, just not the way you expected

A new fan theory might change the way you look at the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). It posits that the infinity stones are back; however, they have returned in a different form: humans. We saw the infinity stones for the last time in the first season of Loki. However, this theory suggests that Marvel hasn't abandoned the infinity stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For those who don't know, the infinity stones in the MCU and also the comics are described like this:

"The Infinity Gems (previously known as "Soul Gems") are some of the most powerful artifacts in the Universe. Each one allows its owner extreme control over one aspect of the universe: time, space, reality, mind, power, and soul. When all six are directly wielded together, nothing is impossible for their bearer."

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The new MCU Infinity Stones theory explained:

Until now, the fans thought that the infinity stones were destroyed by Thanos in the first act of Avengers: Endgame. Thanos claims that he destroyed the stones because they served only as temptation. While the Avengers participated in the "Time Heist" to steal the stones, it should be noted that Captain America/Steve Rogers returned the stones to their original timelines before deciding to live with Peggy Carter.

Now, the YouTuber Nerd Talk has come up with a fan theory that will make us look at the cosmic artifacts in a different way. According to this theory, the "stones" were just containers for a promodial energy. The stones were powerful because they contained cosmic power inside them. Therefore, Thanos just destroyed the containers, and the energy escaped and found new vessels.

According to this theory, the energy inside the bodies of these popular MCU characters. The YouTuber suggests that these MCU characters are powered by the Infinity Stones:

1. Time Stone: Loki
2. Space Stone (Tesseract): Monica Rambeau/Photon
3. Reality Stone (Aether): Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
4. Mind Stone: Bob Reynolds/Sentry
5. Soul Stone: Adam Warlock
6. Power Stone: Simon Williams/Wonder Man

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The Wonder Man trailer has some wondering if the Power Stone chose Simon Williams as its Avatar:

The Wonder Man trailer hints at Simon's connection with the Power Stone as we see Simon's powers on the screen for the first time. Simon possesses superhuman strength and ionic energy-related powers. Moreover, we also see his eyes glow purple, the same color as the Power Stone. This is why some believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Wonder Man is powered by the Power Stone.

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What's next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Aside from the three mainline MCU Disney+ shows, the cinematic universe has two movies scheduled for this year. The two movies releasing this year are Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Doomsday will set up the one big screen project, Avengers: Secret Wars. Secret Wars is an important project as it supposedly cleans up the continuity.

Kevin Feige alluded to this in a July press conference this year:

"We’re utilizing that [story] not just to round out the stories we’ve been telling post-Endgame. [But] just as importantly — and you can look at the Secret Wars comics for where that takes you — it very, very much sets us up for the future. Endgame, literally, was about endings. Secret Wars is about beginnings."

When he was asked if Avengers: Secret Wars was rebooting the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity, Feige answered:

"Reboot is a scary word. Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines."

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What did you think about the MCU's Infinity Stones theory?