Speculation is swirling among Marvel fanatic that Mephisto could make his MCU return as the main villain in an upcoming team-up project. While the demonic character has long been teased and theorized in past titles like WandaVision, he finally debuted in the finale of Ironheart. With the final episode leaving his return open-ended, there's one potential project that makes perfect sense.
Marvel fans have been craving Mephisto's arrival in the MCU for over four years, but it was Ironheart that finally delivered. In the show's finale, Sacha Baron Cohen made his debut as Mephisto in human form, offering Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne) a deal with the devil. His appearance wasn't just a cameo; it marked the beginning of something much bigger. As a villain who tempts people with their deepest desires, Mephisto represents one of the MCU's most thematically rich antagonists... who could return to antagonize a certain team.
In Ironheart, it's first revealed that Mephisto is the one who offered Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos) the cursed magical cape that grants power, which becomes the MCU backstory for The Hood.
Later, Riri joins Mephisto at the dinner table, against her will, but they engage in conversation. Initially mistaken for Dormammu, the demon corrects her, declaring he's actually Mephisto.
He offers Riri a tempting deal to restore her lost friend Natalie, and the shocking part is that she actually accepted it. In a surprise twist, Marvel's latest Disney+ hero accepts the deal with the devil and makes his return all the more likely.
Given that Riri is rumored to return in a Champions or Young Avengers team-up project, many fans believe Mephisto will be the overarching threat tying that new team together. On the future of Ironheart, showrunner Chinaka Hodge told TVLine that she's excited for fans to see "what happens next in the life of the MCU," but added that support and viewership will be huge for Riri's return:
"I can't wait until audiences tune in and watch these six episodes, and then we get to see what happens next in the life of the MCU...Audiences will help make that decision, of what happens next [if any]...So, tune in and show Disney and the MCU that we have a strong fan base for 'Ironheart.'"
If Riri were to return to the unofficial Champions project, there are already some specific ideas of how Mephisto could be at play. Andrea on X shared this theory, speculating on what if Mephisto "tries to get close to Billy and Tommy to manipulate them:"
"Well, what if Mephisto is the villain of the rumored THE CHAMPIONS series? And he tries to get close to Billy and Tommy to manipulate them, and you know why..."
To that same effect, Grey on X shared a similar idea after watching the Ironheart finale, specifically adding that Mephisto could use Riri to go after Billy and Tommy Maximoff.
"And when the plot/subplot of MCU's Champions is Mephisto send Riri to take Tommy and Billy to him so he can reclaim their souls >>>"
This theory makes a lot of sense. Riri's deal with Mephisto could be the central inciting incident that launches a new phase of young heroes trying to clean up the messes of their predecessors, a theme that fits squarely with Champions comic arcs.
If characters like Joe Locke's Billy Maximoff (aka Wiccan) are also involved, the connection strengthens; Billy is currently searching for his brother Tommy (potentially recast in Vision Quest) after the events of Agatha All Along.
And if young sorcerer Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah) appears in the youth-focused project, that only further brings Riri, Mephisto, and maybe even The Hood back into the mix.
2025 Status of The Champions Series
Marvel Studios' long-teased Young Avengers project appears to be evolving into a Disney+ series titled Champions, which just reportedly took a step forward by hiring writer and showrunner Rachna Fruchbom.
The series is expected to feature a merged roster of younger MCU characters like Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel, America Chavez, Ironheart, Wiccan, and Cassie Lang.
One aspect that can't be ruled out is these characters reappearing in an Avengers movie. Dominique Thorne acknowledged the idea of her returning as Riri Williams with The Direct, not ruling out the possibility.
If Marvel Studios decides to greenlight a Champions series, the earliest it would debut on Disney+ is 2027 or 2028, most likely, pushing Mephisto's next appearance way down the timeline. Fans will have to be patient when it comes to what's next for Ironheart characters like Riri Williams, Parker Robbins, and Mephisto in the MCU.
