Avengers: Endgame will see Thanos defeated by an Infinity Stone according to one (compelling) fan theory

We all want to see Thanos get his comeuppance in Avengers 4: Endgame. But it won’t be easy. The grape-shaped Mad Titan still has the Infinity Gauntlet at his disposal, even after The Snappening burned it to a crisp in Avengers: Infinity War. Yet, in a delicious piece of irony, it might be one of the Infinity Stones that proves to be his undoing. One eagle-eyed fan has spotted a key Stone scene that provides a big clue as to why Thanos might be facing his downfall sooner rather than later in Endgame.

The theory goes, according to Reddit user wheresthetrigger123 (H/T ComicBook.com), that the Mind Stone will play a huge role in influencing Thanos’ thinking going forward. And it all lies at the feet of Vision’s two death scenes.

Now, recalling who died in Infinity War is tough at the best of times – but this is a necessary evil. Remember Scarlet Witch sacrificing Vision for the greater good only to have Thanos reverse the process (quite literally by using the Time Stone) and pluck the Mind Stone from Vision’s head? There is one key difference between the two Vision deaths.

Unlike Vision ‘cracking’ in the first death, he simply loses all colour and goes all grey and limp the second time round. Pretty grim, right? Not so, according to the theory: Vision may have transferred his mind into the Mind Stone and is controlling Thanos from within. He may have even gone as far as influencing the snap, sending them off to, well, a fate slightly better than death.

That means, moving forward, Thanos might be corrupted by the power he wields – just not in the way we were all expecting. Vision could hold the key to stopping the Big Bad in Endgame by using the Mind Stone itself.

That does put a smile on my face.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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