The orange soul stone, the last of the six colour-coded Infinity Stones that supervillain Thanos is seeking out, is right here in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

The cast of the upcoming film Avengers: Infinity War, comprising Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) and Karen Gillan (Nebula), as well as director Joe Russo, unveiled the stone at a fan event at the MBS Event Plaza last night. Led by Russo, who said he was "able to influence the stone's location", the crowd cried out "Avengers Assemble" before the soul stone lit up on the Marina Bay waterfront.

The stars were quick to express their appreciation of the screaming fans who had queued to get access, and then waited outdoors for the cast to appear.

British actor Cumberbatch said: "It's utterly surreal. People have been waiting out here for hours. I just want to thank the fans - you're the best fans, you really are."

American co-star Downey Jr declared: "This has to be the coolest fan event I've ever been for."

British actress Gillan was also at the event, where the usual red carpet was replaced by a purple one in honour of the movie's villain, Thanos (played by Josh Brolin).

The event, co-produced by Disney and MBS, saw about 4,000 fans in attendance, with 3,000 more watching a live stream from the MBS Sands Expo and Convention Centre Hall A. The movie opens in Singapore on April 25.

Anjali Raguraman