Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If…?
Marvel's What If...? suggests that there's another way to acquire the Soul Stone. The Infinity Stones were the McGuffins of the Infinity Saga, so when the overarching narrative wrapped up in Avengers: Endgame, there's an assumption that the gems would no longer factor in MCU's future storytelling. However, that's not the case, as some of the 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, WandaVision clarified how the Mind Stone worked in relation to Wanda Maximoff's (Elizabeth Olsen) powers. Meanwhile, it's already been confirmed that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will re-acquire the Time Stone in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and he will continue to have it in 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 Ultron who was able to snatch Vision's body. The specifics of where or how the events of "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?" relate to what actually happened in the MCU are uncertain. But, since the animated series simply imagines the Infinity Saga if one specific element from it changed, it's safe to assume that the rules with regard to the gems are the same. Overall, it's curious how Ultron got a hold of all of the crystals, but it's most intriguing how he's able to acquire the Soul Stone. In the Sacred Timeline, the yellow rock was the last to be unveiled because it's the most difficult to get. As revealed in Avengers: Infinity War by Red Skull (Ross Marquand), it can only be collected in exchange for a sacrifice. Thanos gave up Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and then in Endgame, 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 remembering 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+.
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