Avengers 4: Incredible theory says Thanos is NOT the main villain – it's THIS 'character'

Although there’s no doubting that Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan is full of evil, the interesting new theory reckons there’s someone – or rather something – one step above him.

That something is the Mind Stone.

In a Reddit post that has been 92% Upvoted, Marvel expert zaneman777 said: “So I have been going through the series again and been noticing that every time the Mind Stone is involved there is somebody who wants to kill everybody, or at least a great deal of people.

“The power the stone has to control people (as seen in Avengers with Barton) made me take another look at who was around the stone.

“[Firstly], the mind stone was in Thanos’ possession before the events of Avengers and [he] gives the Stone to Loki. This may be how he became the Mad Titan.

“Loki has the Mind Stone and wants a war on Earth. Thor the whole time is confused about his behaviour and is calling him back to sanity. As the audience we don’t think much but Thor acts like this is a big change.

“Shield (Hydra) was in possession of the stone in Winter Soldier (Age of Ultron shows this) and they hatch a plan to wipe out anyone who may be a threat.

“Stark is compelled by Scarlett Witch (who got her powers from the Mind Stone) to make a Ultron. Ultron who came from the Mind Stone has only been alive for a few days and wants to kill everybody.

“Vision is hard cause he seems good and is on the side of life.

“But in Civil War he is distracted and nearly kills War Machine. Also there was a conversation between Stark and Rogers about the elevator not being worthy – I feel like that is a hint.”

Of Infinity War, the poster continued: “In Infinity War, they had weapons that disabled the Stone’s ability to allow Vision to phase and he seemed weaker the whole movie.

“My theory is that the Mind Stone is alive (Red Skull mentioned the Soul Stone was wiser then the others – [which] supports that the other stones have sapience), can see the future (as seen in the visions it gives) and saw its own destruction and set Thanos on the whole quest for the Gauntlet and killing off half the universe was just to reverse time and save it from destruction. Or it just hates life.

“The final proof that I want to show is a scene in Avengers when everyone is fighting (Rogers says without the suit, what are you), it pans to the sceptre (Mind Stone to imply that it was corrupting the team).

“I just remembered that when Thor comes to charge Vision in AOU he says that he has had a vision and at the center of all of it is that and he points at the mind stone then says that is an Infinity Stone. I feel this is a huge clue.”

The theory has been 92% upvoted and you can read the community’s reactions to it here.

We’ll get answers for how the cliffhanger of Infinity War is resolved when Avengers 4 opens in 2019. It is currently in reshoots.

Avengers 4 is out on April 26, 2019.