Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-27464043-20151230192612/@comment-24669364-20180422183348

I have another theory, that combines two theories; the "Soul Stone lost in time" theory, and the "Titan" theory. Just hear me out. (this may also be a rough outline of the plot for the entire movie - DISCLAIMER: I HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM YET).

The Soul Stone is lost back in time, miraculously vanished in Titan's destruction. Thanos, being excluded from the rest of the Titans and now the last member of his race rules the galactic universe as a Mad Titan. Thanos wants to rule the universe alone with the Infinity Stones, and has located all but the Soul stone. After Thanos attacks Xandar (RIP?) for the Power Stone, takes the Tesseract from Loki (RIP?), and questions the Collector (RIP?) for the Reality Stone, the Outriders descend on the Mind Stone from Vision (in Europe), and relocate to Wakanda (hence, the massive battle with Thanos' new army, the Outriders).

Thanos needs the Time Stone, currently in the possession of Doctor Strange, to relocate the Soul Stone, and reverse time back to Titan's destruction. After a battle in New York, the Avengers board Thanos' Q-Ship which is making it's ascent to Titan. Doctor Strange hides the Time Stone somewhere (since he appears not to have it on Titan with him). Thanos has Ebony Maw torture Strange for the location, to where he ultimately confesses that Captain America has it hidden in Wakanda Thanos arrives in Wakanda, and after he takes the Mind Stone from Vision (RIP?), and almost kills Captain America, Thanos obtains the Time Stone.

The Avengers, now defeated prepare for the end of the universe, feeling guilt that they have not done the universe any justice in bringing down Thanos. Thanos then utilizes the Time Stone, and goes back in time to Titan, while the Avengers, affected by the Time Stone's effects are also forced to relive their past, which will segway into Avengers 4.

The following is pure speculation for Avengers 4, but the Avengers encounter Captain Marvel in the 90's, and they use her for help just as Thanos finds the Soul Stone on Titan. Thanos decides that he should end Earth first, by utilizing the Battle of New York as a cataclysmic event with the Chitauri.

After the Avengers defeat Thanos by inflicting all the Stones' power back at him, at the cost of the deaths of several of the main Avengers (mirroring the nightmare at the beginning of Age of Ultron), one of the Avengers (I'm going to use Iron Man for this example) will utilize all six stones (using some armour he made) and revert back an alternate timeline to where Thanos' reign has been abolished, at the cost of Stark's life. This will fulfill his arc, from an arrogant billionaire to the hero that makes the ultimate sacrifice (mirroring Capt. America's line in the first Avengers about Stark "not making the sacrifice play"). The survivors - Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, etc -  are made up of the New Avengers.