Avengers: Endgame - Every Mystery The Russos Have Answered (So Far)

2. Red Skull

The Question

When fans took to thinking about what would have happened after Captain America headed into the past to replace the Infinity Stones, the question that has come up again and again is that of Red Skull. What happens when Cap goes to Vormir with the Soul Stone? Why doesn't the replacement mean Black Widow's soul is freed again? And how did the two mortal enemies get on?

The Answer

It's definitely an interesting thing to consider, and there have been a couple of key answers on this front. One contradicts the old assertion that Red Skull would be free after the Soul Stone was removed from Vormir and explains that it's not really Red Skull who guards the Stone at all:

“Red Skull would probably put the soul stone back to its location, and wait for the next unfortunate stone seeker to make a sacrifice. Cap and Red Skull probably won’t fight. It’s because it’s his mission to return the stone to its original place. The Red Skull is also no longer the same Red Skull from FA. He is more like a ghost, you could almost say he’s a completely different entity now. He only exists to guard the stone, his past conscious may or may not exist anymore.”

Presumably that means he didn't have a problem with Cap any more too, then. Though Cap would certainly have been shocked. And as for retrieving souls sent as sacrifices, sadly it's not possible:

"...The process is irreversible. Even if you have returned it to its original location, you wouldn’t be able to get the person back. In fact, it’s not really returning the Stone, more like put it back properly. The tribute soul for the Soul Stone will forever be sealed in that place, therefore Black Widow is gone forever."