Ironheart Just Gave Mephisto the Perfect MCU Debut Storyline

Ironheart, Disney+'s newest Marvel Studios show, might have given the supervillain Mephisto the perfect introduction story for his long-awaited MCU debut. Rumors have teased Mephisto's arrival in the MCU for well over four years, with hints and Easter eggs being present across the franchise's entire Disney+ slate since the start of the Multiverse Saga.

The first three episodes of Marvel Studios' Ironheart laid the foundations for Mephisto's debut in the MCU. After fans tried their hardest to find teases for Marvel Studios' take on the devil (largely through WandaVision, Loki, and Agatha All Along), the stage may finally be set for the character to show his horned, fiery face on the small screen.

Is Mephisto in Ironheart?

Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of Ironheart.

While Mephisto has not officially been introduced in Ironheart's first three episodes, the story seems to be setting up his eventual arrival through Anthony Ramos' new MCU villain, Parker Robbins/The Hood. Leading a team of criminals and eventually recruiting Riri Williams, The Hood is shown to be under the influence of some kind of mystical, dark force that gives him his red hood and his powers.

One major indicator of this comes when Sonia Denis' Clown talks to Riri Williams about Robbins' red garment, off-handedly mentioning that he got the hood by "wrestling it off a demon." This is the same way Robbins gained possession of his hood in the comics, although he took it away from Dormammu rather than Mephisto, something the MCU could easily switch around.

Additionally, Parker Robbins can be heard talking to a disembodied voice at the end of Episode 3 after freaking out about losing his cousin, John. Fans hear him yelling about trusting this unseen entity, even screaming out that he is "done" with the being. With a low and indiscernible rumbling noise, the entity shows him an image of John dying before projecting a shadow of the Ironheart armor over him.

This indicates that Parker is working for this being, teasing that he may have gotten his powers and red hood from Mephisto. With The Hood's powers clearly having some kind of supernatural origins, the theory of Mephisto being the one to make him that way seems more likely. It also comes after rumors from fans noted that they know when Mephisto will make his debut in the series.

When Could Mephisto Arrive in the MCU?

Whether the timeframe of Episode 5 is correct, Mephisto's presence in this series has been discussed throughout most of Ironheart's development process. At one point, Sacha Baron Cohen was even rumored to be cast as the iconic villain. While Cohen's casting for the show was confirmed in 2022, his role was never set in stone, but multiple scoopers and outlets agreed on the idea of him being Mephisto.

Also important to mention is that Mephisto was directly referenced in the MCU for the first time in 2024's Agatha All Along. In Episode 3, Jennifer Kale spoke to the then-unnamed Billy Maximoff about watching his back with Agatha, mentioning that her long-lost son may have been "an agent of Mephisto." This was the only time the character was called out by name, but it set up the fact that he at least exists within the MCU.

Now, fans are simply waiting to find out who is influencing The Hood's actions and why exactly all of it is happening, particularly with Mephisto's real motives still being questioned if he does end up being in play.

Combine that with seeing his magical and supernatural influence potentially putting Riri Williams into her most dangerous situation yet, and the stage is set for Ironheart to have a massive impact on the MCU's future.

Starring Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, and Alden Ehrenreich, Ironheart marks the latest Disney+ effort for Marvel Studios and the final project in the MCU's Phase 5. The show picks up with Riri Williams during her tenure at MIT before she returns to her roots in her hometown of Chicago and discovers what it takes to be a hero in the MCU. The first three episodes of Ironheart are streaming on Disney+, and the second three episodes will be available on Tuesday, July 1.