The Infinity Saga might be over, but it left a bunch of questions that the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t answered yet, and one of the biggest ones is why Thanos gave the only Infinity Stone he had, The Avengers. The events of the Infinity Saga are what shaped the MCU, and while its main players and objects are now gone, the impact of Thanos and his destructive plans can still be felt in the MCU’s Phase 4 – and while the MCU has been solving some mysteries and plot holes left by the Infinity Saga, there are many others that continue to be debated among viewers and making way for different theories.
Thanos was the main villain of the Infinity Saga, and his purpose was to acquire all six Infinity Stones along with the Infinity Gauntlet so he could bring balance to the universe by wiping out half of life in it. Thanos made his first appearance in the post-credits scene of The Avengers, but he was the real mastermind behind the conflict in the movie, as he was the one who planned the Chitauri invasion through an alliance with The Other and Loki. Thanos gave Loki the scepter that contained the Mind Stone, the only Infinity Stone he had at the time, which Loki used to control the minds of various humans, most notably Hawkeye and Erik Selvig. However, the newly formed Avengers defeated Loki and the Chitauri, and the scepter was taken by HYDRA under the disguise of S.T.R.I.K.E.
As the MCU evolved, Thanos’ decisions in The Avengers raised a bunch of questions, more so as his obsession with the Infinity Stones became clearer, and the biggest question is why he gave the only Infinity Stone he had to Loki. Thanos was controlling and always had a plan, so it’s strange that he would give the Mind Stone to someone he probably knew wouldn’t be able to fulfill the mission, and this has made way for different theories on why Thanos gave the Mind Stone to Loki and the real plan he might have had when he did so.
Thanos Wanted Loki To Lose The Mind Stone To Trigger Civil War
The more characters, events, and objects the MCU adds, the more confusion, retcons, and plot holes it creates, but at the same time, it offers more possible answers to this universe’s biggest questions. That said, one theory about why Thanos gave the Mind Stone to Loki links his reasons and plans to the Civil War conflict. The Battle of New York doesn’t make much sense anymore, as Loki and the Chitauri were sent to Earth so the former could get the Space Stone (contained Captain America: Civil War, and the Battle of Sokovia also turned Zemo into a villain, as he lost his family due to the Avengers’ conflict with Ultron.
The Avengers: Infinity War. With the team split in two, the Avengers weren’t able to respond against Thanos and his armies as they should have, which gave Thanos a major advantage, allowing him to fulfill his plans of bringing balance to the universe. Thanos, then, knew Loki would lose the Mind Stone and wanted him to do so, making Thanos an even more menacing and brilliant villain.
Thanos Sent Loki To Test For Captain Marvel’s Presence
Another Guardians of the Galaxy, he surely heard about Carol Danvers. Thanos, then, instead of doing things by himself at first, used others to get what he wanted, and in Loki’s case, he used him to see if the powerful woman who defeated the Kree was still on Earth, protecting it.
Thanos Gave Loki The Mind Stone To Spy On Earth
An alternative to the previous theory is that Thanos used Loki and the Mind Stone to test Earth and how weak or strong their defenses could be. Supposing Thanos never heard about Captain Marvel, Earth would have been a perfect target for a massive invasion, but the Mad Titan wouldn’t have thrown himself into it without knowing what he was dealing with – but he wasn’t going to get his hands dirty, either (at least not yet). Thanos would have given the Mind Stone to Loki so he could test how the inhabitants of Earth defended themselves, but to their surprise, their attack triggered the creation of the original Avengers team, making way for Thanos’ biggest enemies in the MCU.
Thanos Used Loki To Get To Nidavellir
Another theory, posted on Loki’s actions on Earth with the Mind Stone and his battle against the Avengers would have been enough reason to distract the Asgardian army, allowing Thanos to invade Nidavellir and force Eitri to create a gauntlet for him. Surely, Thanos didn’t give the Mind Stone to Loki by mistake, but his real reasons and plans continue to be a mystery.
