Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Ironheart episodes 4-6. If you've yet to catch up on the Marvel show and don't want to know anything that happens, turn back now!
Ironheart just introduced the most-requested MCU newcomer – and it's a hellish character we've been waiting for since WandaVision.
In news that is likely to surprise very few given the Disney Plus series' plot and cast, Mephisto has officially made his MCU debut, with Sacha Baron Cohen bringing the comic book villain to life. And boy, has it been a long-time coming.
While his face (and identity) aren't explicitly revealed until the finale, a then-unnamed Mephisto had already been heard, whispering to Anthony Ramos' Parker Robbins in a scene that's reminiscent of one of Spider-Man's most famous. You know, the Green Goblin mask taunting Norman Osborn? Eagle-eyed fans also spotted a more obvious nod to the character when Riri walks past a poster that reads 'Faust'.
Episode 6, titled 'The Past Is the Past', then spells out that Mephisto was the one who gave Parker his corrupting cloak – not Doctor Strange baddie Dormammu, as Riri and N.A.T.A.L.I.E once believed. Swinging wildly between an East London accent and a more Chicago-esque twang, the demonic figure tricks a down-and-out Parker, who just dropped the ball on an elaborate heist, into thinking of it as a tool to make everything he ever wanted a reality. As the episode goes on, of course, we realize that it was an empty promise – and when Parker is overpowered by Riri, Mephisto sets his sights on the tech genius.
As he tries to convince Riri to strike up a deal and build something "iconic" with him, we get a blink-and-you'll-miss-it glimpse at him in his red-skinned, yellow-eyed demonic form in the reflection of a teaspoon as he stirs his coffee. Later, he introduces himself by name.
Created by John Buscema and Stan Lee, who were inspired by Faustian character Mephistopheles, Mephisto first appeared in print in December 1968. For an in-depth breakdown, check out our explainer. In the comics, he's best known for facing off against Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, and Ghost Rider, though he has had conflicts with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, and Scarlet Witch, too.
It makes sense, then, that Marvel fans were convinced he'd be involved in 2021's WandaVision, especially when it became clear that a malevolent force was pulling Wanda Maximoff's strings behind the scenes. (Said force turned out to be Agatha Harkness and the allure of the Darkhold). When he didn't show, people wondered whether he'd pop up in spin-off Agatha All Along. Though that theory proved false, too, when Teen was unveiled as Wanda's resurrected son Billy – and the mystic, manipulative creator of the Witches' Road – and Rio Vidal was confirmed to be Death, not the devil. Well, you know what they say, good things come to those who wait...
Ironheart is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our breakdown of Marvel Phase 6, which is set to be ushered in by The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, or our guides to watching the Marvel movies in order and all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows.
