After 13 Years, Marvel Unveils Its Secretly Planned Ultimate Villain!

Warning, this article contains spoilers for the last three episodes of Ironheart.

In 2021, Marvel embarked on a new chapter by launching its first series on Disney+, WandaVision, centered around the character of the Scarlet Witch following the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Marvel took another step into the realm of magic by introducing Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), a powerful witch who covets the Darkhold, a dark book of spells. At that time, fans were convinced that another major villain was lurking in the shadows: Mephisto, a demonic entity comparable to the devil.

Mephisto has been hinted at in other shows in more or less subtle ways. In Loki, a drawing of a devil appears as a part of the set, and in Agatha All Along, his name is mentioned (for the first time) by one of the witches at the sabbath. However, clues about Mephisto date back to 2012 and the Avengers movie, where keen-eyed fans noticed a mention of Mephisto in a SHIELD file on the Tesseract.

Marvel didn’t seem in a hurry to introduce this supervillain to the audience. That is, until today and the final episode of Ironheart.

A Shocking Cameo!

Episode 6 starts with the origin story of The Hood, the main antagonist played by Anthony Ramos. Just after burglarizing his father’s house, who had thrown him out, he encounters a stranger who offers him a tempting pact: the power to achieve his dreams in exchange for something “he won’t miss.” The young man agrees to the deal.

And this character is none other than Mephisto, as he reveals himself to Riri in the final moments of season 1. Marvel has cast Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, The Trial of the Chicago 7) to portray him. It’s an intriguing choice given the actor’s prowess in both comedy and drama.

This Marvel supervillain is cunning and as mischievous as Loki: he knows how to persuade his victims to make a deal with him. This makes him an extremely dangerous character.

Especially since we haven’t seen his true face: he disguises himself as a man while his body is red like the devil (his true reflection is even seen in a spoon at a restaurant). His creator, Stan Lee, was inspired by Mephistopheles, a demon from German folklore identifiable by the two horns on his head.

What’s Next for Mephisto in the MCU?

What Hood and Riri do not realize is that they have actually made a deal with the Devil, and have sold their souls to him. The heroine’s choice at the end of the series is particularly intriguing: if there is a second season of Ironheart, we should expect to see Sacha Baron Cohen reprise his role as Mephisto.

Indeed, the young woman will have to do everything possible to reclaim her soul, which might involve enlisting the help of prominent sorcerers, like Dr. Strange, to accompany her in hell or other cosmic dimensions.

The series could also be directly linked to Avengers: Doomsday, expected in theaters in 2026. This upcoming movie will introduce the character of Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr), a villain who often combines his scientific genius with magic to defeat his enemies. In other words, we are far from done with Marvel’s Devil.

Ironheart, 6 episodes available on Disney+.