“Black Panther” is the last Marvel movie before “Avengers: Infinity War,” so fans were surprised that it didn’t introduce the final Infinity Stone: the soul stone. Director Ryan Coogler explained that the movie didn’t need a second mystical object.

“I love the Infinity Stones as much as any comic book fan, it’s just Wakanda already has its thing, which is Vibranium,” Coogler told IGN. “For us, that was special enough, so to throw in something like another special thing didn’t feel right. It felt like we should stick with our one MacGuffin for the country and explore that, let that be the important thing because, frankly we didn’t need to have another piece like that.”

Thanos (Josh Brolin) is out to collect all the Infinity Stones in the next “Avengers” movie, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been spreading out the gems through the past 10 years. The only one missing is the soul stone, and it seemed reasonable that the last one would be introduced in “Black Panther.” After all, the “Infinity War” trailer makes it pretty clear that there will be an attack in or near Wakanda. However, that might not be related the location of the final Infinity Stone.

Black Panther Soul Stone
Thanos is looking for the soul stone in “Avengers: Infinity War,” but he might not find it in Wakanda. Marvel

“[Marvel Studios] never really was interested in putting a stone in there, either,” Coogler added. Did he mean Wakanda itself or just the “Black Panther” movie? Fans will have to see “Avengers: Infinity War” to find out.

Coogler’s comments seem to dispel theories that the soul stone was secretly shown in “Black Panther,” hidden as an easter egg for dedicated viewers. Many fans thought the soul stone might be connected to the gardens underneath Wakanda, either when the heart shaped herb grows or the sand Black Panther is buried in. Coogler’s comments suggest that neither is true and the soul stone is elsewhere.

It’s not like the movie lacked connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The final post-credits scene in “Black Panther” followed up on the mid-credits scene from “Captain America: Civil War.” It seems Shuri (Letitia Wright) helped erase Winter Soldier’s (Sebastian Stan) brainwashing, and he is up just in time for “Infinity War.”

“Black Panther” is in theaters now. “Avengers: Infinity War” hits theaters May 4.

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