The ‘Ironheart’ Finale Finally Introduces Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto

This article contains spoilers for Ironheart.

Ironheart has concluded its six-episode run, and Marvel Studios has finally delivered a character fans have been speculating and theorizing would be part of many MCU projects since the start of the Multiverse Saga in 2021 with WandaVision. After seemingly misdirecting the audience that The Hood was powered by the Doctor Strange villain Dormammu, the season finale reveals that Parker Robbins got his magical hood from none other than the demon, Mephisto, played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

Mephisto’s inclusion in Ironheart has been rumored since 2023, and Marvel Studios was hinting at the villain’s arrival shortly before the series premiered. With all eyes on Doctor Doom as the new villain of the MCU’s upcoming Avengers films, Mephisto’s arrival is a big deal. Not only has this been a long time coming, after years of speculation, but it may also signal significant implications for the future of the MCU, including the arrival of Ghost Rider and a hint at what is to come for Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.

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Mephisto in Marvel Comics and Past MCU Teases

Mephisto first debuted in Silver Surfer #3 in December 1968, and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. Based on Mephistopheles, a demon character from the Faust legend, Mephisto is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe, as he is a demonic force that typically stands in for the Devil within many classic Marvel stories. Mephisto is best known as the source of Ghost Rider’s power and also for the controversial Spider-Man storyline One More Day, where he wipes Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s marriage from canon. He was previously adapted into live-action twice. The first was in 2007’s Ghost Rider, where Peter Fonda played him. 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance featured Ciaran Hinds, with the character referred to as Roarke.

With the conclusion of the Infinity Saga and the beginning of Marvel’s new plans for what would become the Multiverse Saga, many fans theorized that Mephisto could become the new overarching villain of the Marvel Universe. This was put into overdrive in 2021 with the first entry in the Multiverse Saga, WandaVision. With WandaVision adapting Wanda Maximoff and Vision’s children, Billy and Tommy, from the comics, it was expected that the Disney+ series would also adapt the storyline where the children are revealed to be part of Mephisto’s plan. Many fans began theorizing that Mephisto would be the villain behind WandaVision, manipulating the events for some greater purpose. Yet that didn’t happen.

With multiple fan theories emerging during the eight weeks WandaVision was on the air, speculating that Mephisto was behind the events and drawing nebulous connections between plot points, Mephisto became a bit of a meme. With any major or minor Marvel announcement, fans would jokingly say, “Mephisto.” Marvel Studios even acknowledged this by name-dropping Mephisto in Agatha All Along, the sequel series to WandaVision. However, the series did not show Mephisto and was more of a wink at the fan theories. It seemed like Mephisto might be a character Marvel would stretch out and tease fans with.

Why Mephisto Appears in ‘Ironheart’

At long last, four years after WandaVision debuted, Mephisto has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet of all the projects, nobody could have expected him to appear in Ironheart first. Fans speculated about Mephisto appearing in WandaVision, Agatha All Along, or even Spider-Man: No Way Home because of his comic connections to those characters. Even Madisynn’s brief hint in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law of a fire dimension had fans speculating that it might be Mephisto. Mephisto’s debut in Ironheart makes sense, as it shows that the devilish character can appear in any genre or story in the MCU, not just those featuring supernatural heroes.

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It is a bit of clever misdirection. When Ironheart revealed that it would feature The Hood as the main villain and tell the Iron Man story the MCU never did, with a battle between technology and magic, it seemed like the decision to make The Hood the villain was motivated by established MCU history. In the comics, The Hood draws its powers from Dormammu and the Dark Dimension, both of whom were seen in 2016’s Doctor Strange and are rumored to return in Doctor Strange 3. The series takes this comic book origin and seemingly adapts it to the MCU’s Hood at first, tying Riri Williams not only back to Iron Man but also to Doctor Strange.

However, the MCU then makes a switch, altering the Hood’s comic book history. It still draws its power from a sinister evil from another dimension, but it isn’t Dormammu. Instead, it is Mephisto and his self-titled realm. Ironheart uses the comic book origins and its connection to established MCU history to sneak past the reveal of another Marvel villain. Now, instead of potentially tying into an upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Ironheart introduces a villain that could unite the supernatural side of the MCU and even be connected to Avengers: Doomsday.

Mephisto’s MCU Implications

Will We Get ‘Ironheart’ Season 2?

Mephisto’s appearance in Ironheart is major, one that could seemingly send ripple effects across the MCU. It sets up a potential Ironheart Season 2, with Riri Williams having made a deal with the demon to bring her friend Natalie back from the dead and likely dealing with the ramifications. Currently, it is unclear what the future holds for Ironheart. Yet Mephisto is now a figure that could theoretically appear in several different titles.

The most obvious at the moment is Avengers: Doomsday. In the comics, one of Mephisto’s greatest enemies is not a hero, but one of Marvel’s most notorious villains: Doctor Doom. Mephisto holds the soul of Cynthia Von Doom, Doctor Doom’s mother, in his realm, and the ruler of Latveria will stop at nothing to free his mother. With Doctor Doom being the main villain of Avengers: Doomsday, one must wonder if his backstory and connection to his mother will influence his motivation. If it does, that paves the way for Mephisto to appear. Mephisto’s role in Avengers: Doomsday would also explain the rumor that the film will introduce Ghost Rider, as the flaming skull hero’s origins are tied directly to the villain.

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Mephisto also opens up the door for the long-rumored supernatural team-up film that Marvel Studios has been building for years. Whether it’s called The Midnight Suns or Legion of Monsters, a team composed of various monster characters, such as Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and now Ghost Rider, has been something fans have been dreaming of for over six years now. Mephisto makes sense as a villain to unite these characters in one film.

With all the focus on releasing Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the hypothetical Midnight Suns movie may not release until 2028 at the earliest. Yet a focus on the supernatural, along with the mutants in X-Men and the cosmic stories of The Fantastic Four, might be precisely what the future of the MCU holds. Phase 7 onwards is now being referred to by fans as the Mutant Saga, but there is also room for some supernatural threats, and Mephisto could be a great overarching villain to follow Thanos and Doctor Doom. Ironheart might be just the beginning. Ironheart is streaming on Disney+.