Seven years after he first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger, Red Skull returned in Avengers: Infinity War when it was revealed that the villain was the guardian of the Soul Stone on the planet Vormir. It was explained when he encountered Thanos and Gamora that Red Skull was transported to the backwater world after he held the Space Stone in his bare hands way back in the 1940s. He was then somehow pressed into service by the Infinity Stones themselves.
During Infinity War, however, Thanos got hold of the Soul Stone once he sacrificed his own daughter so he could be worthy of it. But now that his role has come to an end after 70 plus years of waiting, what’s next for Red Skull? This question was posed to the Russo brothers during a Twitter Q&A yesterday and the filmmakers gave a revealing answer as to what could be next for the former HYDRA leader.
“Red Skull is now free to leave Vormir, and he is also free to pursue his desire for an Infinity Stone.”
Not only do the Russo brothers confirm that Red Skull’s “employment” is over with this comment, but they also hint that Johann Schmidt might still have his eye on owning an Infinity Stone for himself. In Infinity War, the character seemed to have grown wiser somewhat, as he appeared to understand that the Stones are more trouble than they’re worth. But it’s possible that once he sees what Thanos achieves with all six, it’ll reignite his obsession with their universe-shattering power.
It’s hard to tell if the Russos actually have a plan for Red Skull though or if their words above are just suggesting that he’s out there for any other filmmaker to play with. Regardless, we’re hopeful that someone picks the character up somewhere down the line, as now that Avengers: Infinity War has revealed that he’s still alive, there’s so much more potential for the villain in the MCU. Especially if he still has designs on world domination.