There are six Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Over the course of 17 films, fans have already been introduced to five of them, with the Soul Stone being the final one left to be located.
Early speculations pointed out that the last gem would be discovered in "Thor: Ragnarok." Some believed Hela (Cate Blanchett) has it, while others theorized it is hidden behind Odin's (Anthony Hopkins) eye patch. However, the Taika Waititi-helmed movie did not introduce the Infinity Stone. Instead, it positioned itself as a standalone film within the MCU, as promised.
Now that those theories have been proven false, many are wondering where the Soul Stone might be currently hidden in the MCU. So far, there are still five movies before the culmination of the franchise's present storyline: "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Captain Marvel," and "Avengers 4."
However, since "Infinity War" would see Thanos trying to amass the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that would grant him dominion over space, time, and all reality, the Soul Stone will more likely debut on the big screen before the third "Avengers" film. That being said, it is safe to assume that the gem would make its appearance in the next Marvel movie, "Black Panther."
According to ScreenRant, the Soul Stone could be somewhere in Wakanda, a small African nation where T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) reigns. It is not too much of a stretch for the gem to be in Black Panther's hometown because the place is tied to something profoundly alien.
The publication says it is a site of an ancient meteorite impact, which brought vast reserves of Vibranium, the metal Captain America's (Chris Evans) shield and T'Challa's suit are made of. It is possible that the cosmic body may have also brought an Infinity Stone with it when it crashed on Earth.
The power of the Soul Stone can also explain Wakandans' different attitude toward death and afterlife.
In "Captain America: Civil War," T'Challa told Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) after the murder of his father, "In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a stepping off point." T'Challa and the Black Panthers before him can communicate with the spirits (or soul) of those who previously bore the title and have since passed on. This connects to the Soul Stone's ability to grant its owner access to souls of the dead in an idyllic, heaven-like pocket universe.
Whether or not the final stone is in Wakanda remains to be seen, but fans will know for certain once "Black Panther" hits theaters on Feb. 16, 2018. "Avengers: Infinity War" will follow three months later, on May 4, 2018.
