Avengers assemble to unveil Infinity Stone in Singapore

Director Joe Russo along with "Avengers: Infinity War" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch and Karen Gillan revealed that the Soul Stone, which the supervillain Thanos is searching for to rule the galaxy, is here.

While the locations of five infinity stones -- Time, Space, Power, Mind and Reality -- are known, the Soul Stone is yet to appear. It turns out that it is in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands.

The team of the superhero ensemble, ahead of its release, assembled here on Monday to unveil the stone at an event where they met around 7,000 fans from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Malaysia, China and Russia.

The event was also attended by young critically ill "honorary Avengers", who were sworn in by Downey Jr. on Sunday, in a ceremony organised by Make-A-Wish Singapore.

Then the Hollywood stars walked on the purple carpet, which was probably inspired by the colour of Thanos, to take selfies with the fans, who sported Avengers masks or were armed with their toys and posters.

"I know you have been waiting patiently for a few hours or more and some of you all day long," Joe, one half of the Russo brothers, told the screaming fans.

The director, accompanied by his wife and daughters, seemed to be loving it as he patiently signed autographs and posed in front of thousands of cameras.

He was later joined by Gillan, who plays Nebula in the forthcoming Marvel Studios' film.

"I shaved off all my hair which was very long. Marvel guys are amazing. They made me a wig of my own hair which I sometimes wear it for comedic purposes. It's really creepy," she said on the stage facing her fans.

Then a portal was created, just like the one in the Cumberbatch-starrer "Doctor Strange". This time it was done without a sling ring.

Looking at it, the actor said: "That was truly terrifying."

The British actor, whose love for India is not unknown, joined his hands in a 'namaste" to greet the audience. This comes days after he was slammed by his Korean fans when he mistakenly bowed the wrong way twice during his stay in Seoul.

After praising "very generous and fun" Downey Jr., he spoke highly of the young Spider-Man -- Tom Holland.

"Tom Holland is 21 years old but he is much wiser," said Cumberatch, whose blue coat and pants matched his eye colour.

A few minutes later, fireworks and a loud cheer welcomed "Iron Man" star Downey Jr. on stage. It was his first time in Singapore so, the fans greeted him together and shouted "Hi Robert".

As he shared the stage with Cumberbatch, he joked: "Sorry Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk) the science bro thing is over, it's now about the Batch."

The sweet bond between Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. could also be seen on the purple carpet when the British actor ran up to him with a fan's artwork that featured the two "Sherlock" stars.

On who would defeat Thanos, Downey Jr. said: "Here's my guess ... because Jeremy Renner is not in the posters, I think he is the only one who can beat Thanos."

Finally, Joe said: "As the director of the film I was able to influence the stone's location."

Then the fans raised their hands with Avengers bands and shouted "Avengers assemble". A few seconds later, the Soul Stone, made with lights and water, appeared at the Marina Bay Waterfront.

To find out who wins the epic battle, watch "Avengers: Infinity War" in India from April 27 onwards.

(The writer's trip to Singapore is at the invitation of Disney. Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at Natalia.n@Ian's.in)

--IANS

nn/vd

Regards,

Natalia Ningthoujam

Principal Correspondent & Senior Sub-editor

IANS