Marvel Studios’ Eternals could explain why multiple Infinity Stones were on Earth. Following the reveal of Thanos in the mid-credits scene of The Avengers, Marvel had to begin figuring out a plan to bring him to the screen. This involved making the Infinity Stones - his prized possessions - interwoven into the mythology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanks to some minor retcons, they had four of the six Infinity Stones introduced by the end of Phase 2.

It was only during Thanos’ true MCU debut in Avengers: Infinity War that the locations of all six Infinity Stones were revealed. The Power Stone was locked away on Xandar after formerly being hidden away on Morag, and the Collector held the Reality Stone on Knowhere after previously being hidden away by Asgardians millennia ago. The Soul Stone was on Vormir as part of an everlasting exchange, while the Mind Stone was in Vision’s head after previously been in Thanos’ possession. The Space Stone was taken from Asgard by Loki and the Time Stone under Doctor Strange’s protection.

Despite what we know about the Infinity Stones, the MCU has teased that their histories are far more expansive. They’ve been described as ancient relics that pre-date the universe itself. But in most cases, the MCU has only offered up a small part of their stories. Phase 4 of the MCU is still obsessed with the Infinity Stones, and Eternals could give us a further exploration of their history. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said that Eternals will span thousands of years. With their ties to the Celestials - who have been shown to have them in their possession before - we’re expecting the Infinity Stones to once again factor into the story. If that is the case, then maybe Eternals will finally explain why Earth of all places has been a hub for multiple Infinity Stones.

There Were A Lot Of Infinity Stones On Earth

By the time Avengers: Infinity War came around, the Infinity Stones were (mostly) scattered throughout the universe. The outlier in this, though, has been Earth. While Morag, Vormir, and Asgard have kept one safe for years, this single planet in the entire galaxy was home to both the Mind and Time Stones for the prior six years. But Earth has held two Infinity Stones for much longer than that. The Masters of the Mystic Arts have been the protectors of the Time Stone for an unspecified amount of time, and we know the Space Stone has been on Earth since at least World War II. The question is, why?

The truth is that there is no discernible reason why the Earth of all places would be the planet to protect two of the most powerful artifacts in the entire universe. Thanks to the changing water levels of Morag, the temple the Power Stone was held in was a great place to store it. The Reality Stone was so well hidden that not even the Asgardians knew where it was located. The Soul Stone appeared to be the most secretive location of them all, and even if someone found it, they couldn’t acquire it alone. Meanwhile, the Mind Stone was previously in possession of Thanos. All in all, not only were these four stones well-protected or well-hidden, they were also not in the immediate proximity of one another. The danger and temptation of having two in one place is exactly why the Asgardians gave the Collector the Reality Stone once it was rediscovered.

Even though Earth has become a well-protected planet in recent years, there is no knowledge of ancient heroes who protected the planet. It is reasonable to believe that whoever the Sorcerer Supreme has been throughout human history protected the Time Stone. But we do not know when that position was first created, only that Agamotto started it. Meanwhile, the Space Stone was hiding away on Earth with little protection. While there is the chance that these two stones just so happened to find Earth as their home, it would make more sense for them to be left here on purpose.

Theory: The Eternals Are Responsible For Earth’s Infinity Stones

The Eternals being the ones to leave Earth with multiple Infinity Stones could explain this lingering MCU question. Eternals is going to go back to the ancient history of the MCU, so it is the perfect film to explore more of the history of the stones - especially since it’s been confirmed that the film will involve the Celestials. These giant creatures not only are responsible for creating the Eternals, but are also tied to the origins of the Infinity Gems (as they’re called in the comics). Now that Marvel Studios is taking the MCU back to the early days, it would not be surprising to see them incorporate similar ties.

After all, Guardians of the Galaxy already showed that the Celestial Eson the Searcher used the Power Stone to wipe out entire civilizations, so we know they’ve possessed them in the past. With this small bit of information, it would stand to reason that the incredibly powerful Celestial race could have had control of more than just one Infinity Stone, and maybe even had them all. These stones could be why they were so powerful and could create and manipulate life. So how could this work into the story of Eternals? Here’s our best guess.

Following the creation of the Eternals, the Celestials could decide to eradicate the universe of any inferior life forms. Such a plan could see them go right back to the birthplace of the Eternals. In the Celestials’ attempts to create the Eternals, they also created a race known as Deviants, who are essentially their failed creations. It is possible that Eternals will see the Celestials send the central Eternals team to Earth to wipe them (and the rest of humanity) out. To do this more effectively, the Celestials could even give their Eternals some Infinity Stones to get the job done. The Space and Time Stones would be needed for this theory to work (and giving them quick travels and unlimited opportunities), but maybe the Power Stone is included too.

However, once the Eternals arrive, the team is no longer in agreement that this is what they should be doing. A schism could arise between them and split the group over their loyalties to the Celestials. While some decide to stay aligned with their incredibly powerful rulers, others keep the Infinity Stones and determine they should be hidden away. With heroes like Black Knight (Kit Harington) now around, they could settle on Earth as the home for the Space and Time Stones, with Black Knight entrusting the Time Stone to his wizard friend Merlin - who has been a Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel Comics too.

Whatever the specifics may be, the story of Eternals could use them as an explanation for multiple Infinity Stones being left on Earth. If this is the case, then could they also be responsible for spreading and hiding the rest of the Infinity Stones?

Did The Eternals Hide All The Infinity Stones?

The Eternals relocating the Infinity Stones and taking them out of the hands of the Celestials would make sense. However, there are also various pieces of information that would mean this would have to be done several thousand years ago. We know that Eternals will tell a story across thousands of years, so them hiding the stones may not all happen at once.

The Space, Time, Mind, and Power Stones all have somewhat vague histories that Eternals could use to its advantage to show how they got to their respective destinations. The Soul Stone has been linked to Vormir for an unknown amount of time through forces that have not been explained. It’s possible that not only did the Eternals send the Soul Stone to Vormir but that they are the ones who initially set up the soul for a soul exchange policy. The trickiest one to explain could be the Reality Stone. Malekith had it in his possession roughly 5,000 years ago. So, Eternals will have to tell a story that even pre-dates the Dark Elves and Asgardian war to make this one work.

Regardless of when the Eternals could relocate all of the Infinity Stones, it would be a great piece of MCU lore to add into Eternals. It’s even possible that the movie could reveal that the Eternals were supposed to be protectors of the stones, but then some event happened where they forgot about this purpose. There’s even the noticeable tie to Thanos - as he is part Eternal/Deviant - that his knowledge of them could come from that relation. That could also explain how he got his hands on the Mind Stone before The Avengers. This is the type of subplot for Eternals that would immediately make this obscure comic book property incredibly important in the larger story of the MCU, and answer some questions along the way.

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