A new far-reaching MCU theory answers questions about the Infinity Stones’ origins, the MCU’s Celestials, and the Red Skull’s mysterious mission.

A major theory concerning the mission of the Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame answers huge questions about the Infinity Stones’ mysterious origins and the duty of the Celestials in the MCU. The Infinity Stones played a crucial role in the development of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, as they popped up repeatedly throughout Phases 1, 2 and 3, before the Mad Titan Thanos began his quest to collect all six in Avengers: Infinity War. Despite playing such a huge role, however, the origin of the Infinity Stones and the true reach of their powers have never been revealed.

Over the years, many MCU characters have tried to get their hands on the Infinity Stones, dating as far back as the the Red Skull’s mission in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Johann Schmidt’s Red Skull wanted to claim the Space Stone to create advanced weapons, allowing HYDRA to take over the world. Following his defeat, characters such as Loki, Malekith, Jane Foster, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronan the Accuser, Doctor Strange, Vision, Thanos, and the Avengers themselves have all wielded various Infinity Stones, but their true nature may have now been explained in a far-reaching MCU theory.

Red Skull’s Appearance On Vormir Remains A Mystery

Seven years after he last appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger, questions regarding the Red Skull’s whereabouts in the MCU were answered in Avengers: Infinity War. Despite being opposed by Steve Rogers’ Captain America in the MCU’s Phase 1, the Red Skull defeated himself by holding the Tesseract in his hand. The Tesseract transported the Red Skull to Vormir, but it’s still unclear why the Red Skull was specifically sent to Vormir, and unknown who may have masterminded his journey to the Dominion of Death, but a huge theory posed by Reddit user MissEnvyAdams may provide some much-needed answers.

The Celestials May Have Originally Owned The Infinity Stones

To understand the Red Skull’s appearance on Vormir in Avengers: Infinity War, the theory delves into the potential origins of the Infinity Stones themselves. Previous MCU projects have confirmed that the Infinity Stones were created during the Big Bang, the very beginning of the universe, which is also possibly when the first Celestials came into existence. The varying powers of the Infinity Stones, including control over Space, Time, Mind, Soul, Power and Reality, may have aided the Celestials in their quest to bring life to the universe, suggesting these looming, god-like figures may have been the Infinity Stones’ first owners.

This theory is perhaps supported by flashbacks in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, during which the Collector explains the history of the Infinity Stones to the newly-formed Guardians of the Galaxy team. These flashbacks show Celestials wielding the Infinity Stones, most notably one using the Power Stone to mow down all life across an entire planet with ease, proving the Celestials had been in possession of the Infinity Stones at some point. However, since the Infinity Stones eventually became dispersed across the universe, the Celestials evidently didn’t keep a hold of them, and may have entrusted others with protecting them.

Odin & The Asgardians May Have Been Trusted To Protect The Infinity Stones

The theory suggests that the Celestials may have entrusted the Asgardians with protecting the Infinity Stones. Asgardians are similarly god-like figures who exhibit a huge amount of strength, so they could certainly be trusted with ensuring the Infinity Stones’ safety. The collaboration between the Celestials and the Asgardians makes sense, particularly after 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder featured a pair of Celestials residing in Omnipotence City with various gods from all manner of Pantheons. The Asgardians’ Bifrost is also the only key to the Altar of Eternity, so there is precedence for the Asgardians protecting objects of immense celestial power.

Odin had a special affinity with the Infinity Stones. 2011’s Thor showed a completed Infinity Gauntlet in Asgard’s vault, though Thor: Ragnarok outed it as a fake. Odin was also responsible for hiding the Tesseract – the “jewel of Odin’s treasure room” – on Earth, perhaps trying to keep the Infinity Stones far apart from each other. The theory suggests Odin also stashed the Soul Stone on Vormir, a place nobody was likely to travel to, and enchanted the Tesseract to connect these two Infinity Stones, so that whoever held the Tesseract would be sent to guard the Soul Stone.

Red Skull’s Mission On Vormir Supports This Major MCU Theory

The Red Skull being transported to Vormir never made much sense, particularly since other characters in the MCU, such as Loki, Ebony Maw, Captain Marvel, Thanos and even Nick Fury, were able to hold the Tesseract without being shot across space. Red Skull was the first, however, so his holding of the Tesseract perhaps activated Odin’s enchantment on the cube, sending him to Vormir where he was destined to spend eternity as the Soul Stone’s guardian. According to the theory, this ultimately made the Red Skull a pawn of the Celestials’ plot to ensure the protection of the Infinity Stones.

The Red Skull was played by Hugo Weaving in Captain America: The First Avenger , but the role was assumed by Ross Marquand in Infinity War and Endgame .

The mission to collect the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame also supports this idea, as the Soul Stone was, by far, the most difficult Infinity Stone to acquire. The fact that the Red Skull demanded that an individual must “lose that which [they] love” before receiving the Soul Stone means that whoever takes it must be willing to sacrifice everything. Ideally, this would ensure that the Soul Stone only ends up in the right hands, such as Clint Barton’s, rather than Thanos’, but it means that whoever holds the Soul Stone knows its cost and worth.

Infinity Stones Theory Explains The Celestials’ Actions In The MCU

For most of the MCU’s history, the purpose of the Celestials has remained a mystery, but 2021’s Eternals began to explain more about what function they serve in the MCU. The Celestials are ancient, godly beings, who use their remarkable powers to create solar systems capable of harboring life. While the birth of a Celestial means the deaths of potentially billions on their seed worlds, one Celestial would enable billions more to live elsewhere, so the benefits of the Celestials’ existence arguably outweigh the costs. This is all in an effort to advance, improve and protect life in the universe.

This means it makes complete sense that the Celestials would have been the original owners of the Infinity Stones, as they could have used the Stones’ powers to kick-start their creation of life in the universe. The fact that the Infinity Stones’ disappearance would expose the universe to “forces of darkness,” according to the Ancient One, answers why the Celestials may have entrusted the Stones’ protection to other individuals, namely the Asgardians in this massive MCU theory. This means that the Red Skull was practically working for the Celestials in Infinity War and Endgame, without ever knowing his true purpose.