Predicting Mephisto will be involved with a Disney+ show is the Marvel version of the girl who cried wolf or Taylor Swift fans trying to guess when she’ll drop her next album. But it wouldn’t be a tradition if it didn’t happen again and again, so why not indulge just once more? Sacha Baron Cohen was reportedly cast as a “Mystery Man” in the upcoming Ironheart series, but rumor has it he’s actually playing Mephisto, for real this time. The latest Ironheart trailer strengthens the theory as Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) dabbles in magic that may portend Mephisto’s arrival.
Of course, Riri’s main gig is as an engineer—she didn’t need any magic to make a powerful suit in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But according to the synopsis, when she returns to her hometown of Chicago, she “finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka ‘The Hood’ (Anthony Ramos).” Parker seems to be the one who introduces Riri to magic, as the Ironheart trailer shows a creepy, veiny corruption spreading across his body.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Ramos explained that in the comics when Parker gets his hood, “it’s too powerful for him” and “starts to damage his body.” He said, “You can see it on the outside, and you can see how it’s even affecting him on the inside and his personality and how it’s actually, literally, physically and mentally and emotionally breaking him, but it’s giving him so much power that he’s addicted. He’s like, ‘I can’t let it go.’ It becomes this weapon to seek vengeance, and for him, he’s starting off small, and he’s stealing in the comics, and then gradually it grows. It grows and grows and grows, and just like his power, I think, it becomes a little overwhelming for him. But I’m excited. I’m excited for y’all to see what we did with this character and just the art department, and our visual effects team and special effects makeup, too. Jonah [Levy] and his whole team, they were amazing with the tattoos and the scars. They really did a crazy job.”
Some corners of the Internet are placing bets that it’s Mephisto who gives Parker his hood, but of course Marvel isn’t going to give too much away before the premiere on June 24. Cohen isn’t in the Ironheart trailer, but Alden Ehrenreich is as some sort of ally for Riri. She definitely seems to be over her head, with freaky happenings and explosions of energy, some of which seem to infuse into her suit. Time will tell if this will actually be the introduction to Mephisto.
