Why Only Two Of Infinity Stone’s Original Guardians Have Appeared In The MCU

The Infinity Stones hold huge importance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is long believed that these Stones were once under the protection of the

By Soniya Hinduja
November 26,2021
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The Infinity Stones hold huge importance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is long believed that these Stones were once under the protection of the Elders of the Universe. When Thanos pursued to acquire each of the Stones for the Infinity Gauntlet, he defeated every Elder and won their Stone in the process.

Thus, Thanos and the Infinity Stones are two of the most epoch-making elements in the Marvel Universe. Regardless of the fact, the narrative has only ever shown two of these Elders as parts of their films. And only one of these two held a direct link to an Infinity Stone.

The Infinity Stones and their presentation in the MCU

In the Marvel Universe, there are a total of six Infinity Stones. These are namely Time, Space, Reality, Power, Mind, and Soul. Obtaining any of the Stone will allow the owner to use a respective trait. For instance, the Time Stone can slow or speed up time, the Power Stone gives its unparalleled user strength, and so on. Individually, every Infinity Stone is powerful enough. But when the six Stones are all put together, they can make the user unbeatable as a god. And forceful enough to defeat cosmic beings such as Eternity and the Celestials. 

Thanos
Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet

The 1991’s Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most prominent tales that involve the Infinity Stones. Being one of Marvel’s influential stories, they prepared the MCU in laying the groundwork for the ‘Infinity Saga’ throughout the first three phases. When the story was adapted into its visual form of media, a few aspects were tweaked. These include the process in which Thanos acquired the Stones.

The films show the Mad Titan taking the Stones from a range of contrasting sources, like the Nova Corps. Although, in the comics, Thanos defeats each of the Elders of the Universe and then obtains their Stones, respectively. But, interestingly, only two of these Elders have appeared in the movies so far. 

Who are the Elders?

The Elders of the Universe are the only remaining beings of their respective races. Hence, to continue their existence, they have all been granted immortality. These Elders are prominently known for their quirky fixations. For example, the Collector, who, as the name suggests, is obsessed with collecting things. Or the Gardener, who seeds the cosmos with plant life.

The Collector and The Grandmaster in the MCU

The Mad Titan defeated five of the Elders and took their Infinity Stones on his quest to obtain the Infinity Stones. These Elders were the Champion (Power), the Gardener (Time), the Collector (Reality), the Runner (Space), and the Grandmaster (Mind). Thanos also obtained the Soul Stone from the In-Betweener. While the In-Betweener is not exactly an Elder, the entity is still exceedingly formidable. However, the MCU has only ever mentioned two of the Elders in the films so far. The Collector, played by Bencio del Toro, made a remarkable appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy and Infinity War. Whereas the Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum, appeared in Thor: Ragnarok.

Also Read: 9 Reddit’s Unpopular Opinions About MCU’s Thanos

Elders in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

It is true that with the Infinity Saga, Thanos and the Infinity Stones’ journey in the MCU drew towards a memorable end. However, the franchise still has a lot of potentials to introduce the other Elders into the narrative. Out of the two Elders emerging in the Marvel movies, only the Collector is shown to have a direct link to the Stones. This makes the idea of embodying the remaining Elders more plausible. 

Thanos Elders and Infinity Stones, via Marvel Comics

The Elders are famous particularly for their compulsive fixation. And this arc could very well create a setting for them in the movies. Take, for instance, the Champion, who was once believed to be the guardian of the Power Stone. The Champion loves to fight and possesses the highest skills in combat techniques from around the galaxy. Imagine a scenario where the Champion gets in a one-on-one action sequence with an MCU powerhouse like Thor or the Hulk? Or perhaps a more interesting angle where the Gardener is fighting Groot?

So far, in the MCU, the two Elders of the Universe that have turned up have left a foreboding sense of feeling with their presence. Even without the Infinity Stones, the Elders are still extremely riveting beings. And they are dynamic enough to set a heavy foot into the ever-expanding MCU.