Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If…? episode 7.
Infinity Stones continue to be part of Phase 4's story.
At this point, the Sacred Timeline doesn't have any Infinity Stones. The ones Thanos' (Josh Brolin) used were essentially obliterated by the Mad Titan so that no one can undo the decimation. Meanwhile, those collected through the time heist in Endgame had to be returned to their respective origins so as not to create new timelines. That being said, the gems still play an important role in Marvel Studios' current plans. For starters, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Recently, What If...? gathered all six crystals for the first time since Endgame, and this time, they're wielded by Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) offered her life so Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) could bring it back for the time heist. So that begs the question, who did Ultron sacrifice?
Sticking with the antagonist's origins story in the main MCU timeline, it's difficult to imagine that Ultron has someone that he loves because he's a robot. Granted that Vision (Paul Bettany) fell in love, it's worth ing that the synthezoid has always been on the side of humans, unlike his villainous counterpart. Additionally, Vision actually needed to develop emotions — something that he did as he spent time with his fellow Avengers, particularly Wanda. With Ultron not having anyone to sacrifice for the gem, Marvel Studios is suggesting that there are other ways to acquire it without needing to give up someone you love. Red Skull never mentioned anything about a potential alternative way to collect the Soul Stone — even as Hawkeye angrily challenged the rules in Endgame. However, considering what happened in the newest What If...? episode, there's really no plausible alternative explanation to how else Ultron was able to get a hold of the Soul Stone.
Perhaps Marvel Studios can answer these lingering questions around the matter in future episodes of the animated series. Given the cliffhanger ending, it's likely that the latest What If...? narrative will continue, especially since the show's marketing teases the arrival of the Guardians of the Multiverse who will battle the evil robot. From there, they can also properly explain how Ultron was able to acquire all the Infinity Stones, including the Soul Stone.
Marvel's What If...? airs every Wednesday on Disney+.
