Marvel Confirms The Most Important Infinity Stones To The MCU Phase 4

Marvel’s Disney+ animated series, What If…?, confirms the most important Infinity Stones to Phase 4 of the MCU. What If…? is Marvel’s latest Disney+ original series starring Jeffrey Wright as Uatu, The Watcher, and features the return of many MCU actors to their respective roles. Returning actors include Benedict Cumberbatch, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, and the late Chadwick Boseman. The series is set after the events of Loki and essentially explores the infinite branches of the multiverse created by Loki and Sylvie’s destruction of the Sacred Timeline.

Currently, the series has released 5 of its 9 episodes and have explored realities where Peggy Carter became the first Avenger, the Avengers were killed by a mysterious threat, and a reality in which a Zombie plague threatens the universe. The animated nature of this show has allowed the series to grapple with provocative stories that would never have been feasible to do live action. In a way, What If…? is ultimately preparing audiences for the Phase 4’s most anticipated films which will delve into the MCU’s multiverse.

Consequently, this animated series has also confirmed that the Time, Space, and Reality stones are the most important Infinity Stones in the MCU right now. While these stones were obviously important in the past, What If…? as well as previous Phase 4 projects have demonstrated the significance of these stones moving forward. After all, the MCU continues to grow larger in both a multiversal and galactic sense. Therefore, the powers contained in these particular Infinity Stones will likely come back into play.

Each episode of What If…? begins with the same narration by The Watcher. “Time. Space. Reality. It’s more than a linear path, it’s a prison of endless possibilities, where a single choice can branch out into infinite realities creating alternate worlds from the one you know.” Time, Space, and Reality are specifically called out before each episode because these represent the elements that will ultimately affect the multiverse. Moreover, since the series is officially set in the MCU, Uatu The Watcher’s omniscient presence in the multiverse suggests his emphasis on the Time, Space, and Reality stones is more than coincidence.

Many of Marvel’s Phase 4 projects have dealt with the multiverse in some way and even Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings introduces Ta Lo as an alternate dimension within our own. This growing importance of diverging timelines, alternate realities, and the MCU’s continued exploration of far away galaxies indicates how vital the aforementioned Infinity Stones are to the future of the MCU. After all, both Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness are set to revolve around what happens when one interferes with time and reality.

Though the Infinity Stones will unlikely be utilized for the same purposes as in previous MCU phases, it’s safe to say these stones are set to return to the MCU in a major way. To date, Marvel’s Phase 4 has undeniably been the least interconnected of Marvel’s cinematic phases, but that will likely change with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Nonetheless, audiences are already being guided through the multiverse on Disney+ with The Watcher. What If…?, among other things, confirms how important the Time, Space, and Reality stones are in Marvel’s Phase 4.

Next: Every What If Episode Marvel Has Revealed (& Teased) So Far