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Full spoilers immediately follow for Ironheart.
Ironheart has disengaged its thrusters. Its final three episodes landed on July 1 or 2 (depending on where you live), with the trio’s arrival marking the end of the Marvel TV show’s run on Disney+.
Or does it? The last Marvel Phase 5 project’s finale is full of unresolved plot threads that suggest Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Parker Robbins’ (Anthony Ramos) stories have only just begun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Throw in the debut of a long-awaited Marvel villain and other interesting tidbits that might impact the MCU moving forward, and Ironheart could be more important to the MCU than we realized.
But enough babbling. Let’s take a look at the biggest questions you have about Ironheart‘s ending and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Who plays Mephisto in Ironheart? And what is he, exactly?
Let’s address the second question first because it’s easier to answer: Mephisto is played by Sacha Baron Cohen – he of Borat, Ali G, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 fame – in the MCU.
Cohen’s appearance won’t shock some MCU devotees. He was first linked with the role of Mephisto in October 2022 – those reports arriving 18 months after Marvel fans had convinced themselves Mephisto would be unveiled as primary antagonist of WandaVision. As it happened, Agatha Harkness was that show’s Big Bad. Nonetheless, fans have longed for the day that Mephisto would finally make his bow in Marvel’s cinematic juggernaut.
As for who (or what) Mephisto is: he’s Marvel Comics’ takes on Mephistopheles, the demon lord who appears in the Germanic fable Faust. Mephisto is also an alias of The Devil, aka the mythical personification of evil who lauds it over the realm known as Hell in many religions.
But back to Marvel’s take on Mephisto. First introduced in comic book ‘Silver Surfer #3’ in December 1968, the demonic entity is a recurring adversary of The Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man in Marvel literature, although he’s also crossed paths with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, Scarlet Witch, and myriad other Marvel heroes and villains.
He’s most famous for being responsible for the demise of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson’s marriage, too. Indeed, in the incredibly divisive 2000s comic story ‘Spider-Man: One More Day’, Mephisto made a deal with the pair to save Aunt May’s life in exchange for the formal union of their love, which infuriated long-time fans of the webslinger.
Abilities wise, Mephisto is unsurprisingly one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He possesses all of the usual superhuman powers, but it’s his ability to shapeshift, foresee events before they transpire, and prey on people’s biggest fears and/or their trauma that makes him such a threat.
It’s the latter of those skills, coupled with his vast magical powers, that enables him to warp reality, and to manipulate people and bargain with them for something they want. Usually, the trade-off is the other individual’s soul, which Mephisto takes ownership of once a deal is formally agreed.
Okay, so what’s the deal with him first appearing in Ironheart? He’s the individual who rescues Parker Robbins after the latter and Cousin John’s unsuccessful break-in at the home of Parker’s dad. Then, he convinces Parker to strike a deal: Mephisto will gift him a dark magic-infused hooded cloak – so Parker can commit petty crimes and make himself rich – in exchange for Parker’s soul.
Who dies in Ironheart?
Nobody. The eponymous hero survives, as do Anthony Ramos’ villain in Parker Robbins/The Hood and Alden Ehrenreich’s secondary antagonist Zeke Stane.
In fact, Ironheart pulls a reverse Uno card, and brings someone back from the dead. After she defeats The Hood by taking away the source of his powers (aka his cloak), Riri heads for the exit of Desperito’s, aka the dilapidated pizza restaurant that The Hood turned into his hideout.
On the way, though, she bumps into Mephisto, who cajoles her into becoming his next victim. Mephisto makes a deal with Riri to revive Natalie Washington (Lyric Ross). Remember, Natalie is Riri’s best friend, who was killed in a drive-by shooting years ago, and who N.A.T.A.L.I.E, the artificial intelligence Riri creates, is based on.
In return, Mephisto gets Riri’s soul. Indeed, after Riri shakes hands with Mephisto, we’re privy to a highly emotional reunion between Riri and the reborn Natalie. However, as the pair hug, Riri’s right forearm gets covered by the same fire-esque skin markings that adorned Parker’s body every time he used his cloak and/or powers.
With Riri’s soul now seemingly bound to Mephisto, it’ll be fascinating to see when she realizes this is the case, and if her and/or Natalie sacrifice the latter’s second chance at life to free Riri of the pact that this flawed hero has made.
Does Ironheart have a mid-credits or post-credits scene?
Yes and no. Ironheart has a mid-credits stinger, but there’s no end-credits scene to stick around for.
Where the former is concerned, we see the now-cloakless Parker visit Stanton’s. That’s the confectionary shop that’s a front for the Stanton family, who deal with the mystical and the occult.
Anyway, upon entering the store, Parker is greeted by Zelma Stanton (read my Ironheart cast and character guide for more on her), who rattles off the welcome spiel we first heard in episode 4. Parker, though, immediately sees through Zelma’s facade, and informs her that he knows about the stuff in the back – i.e., the magical trinkets and knowledge in the Stantons’ possession. Parker then tells Zelma he’s looking for someone more “experienced” and “supreme” than she is before the screen cuts to black.
Clearly, Parker is interested in finding one of two individuals: Stephen Strange, aka Doctor Strange, or the current Sorcerer Supreme/Master of the Mystic Arts in MCU fan-favorite Wong. Considering that Strange is off-world dealing with the fallout from Doctor Strange 2, I suspect Parker wants to find Wong to learn more about magic. Will it be for the right reasons because he’s turned over a new leaf in his life, or does he seek more knowledge of dark magic in order to exact revenge on Riri and Mephisto? Who knows – but this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Parker.
Will there be an Ironheart season 2? And how could it set up Marvel’s Strange Academy TV show?
We don’t know. Unlike their big-screen offerings – read my articles on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and the best Marvel movies while you’re here – Marvel rarely tells us if a show’s lead character will return in a second season once its final end credits sequence has rolled. The only time I can remember the comic giant doing so was with season 1 of Loki, with a mid-credits stinger stating “Loki will return in season 2”.
The Tom Hiddleston-starring series aside, Marvel has only renewed three other shows: Daredevil: Born Again, whose second season is currently in development, and animated offerings Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and What If…?. The former’s sophomore season is also in active development, while the latter ran for three seasons between 2022 and 2024.
The chances of Ironheart season 2 being greenlit, then, aren’t too high. Sure, its 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes suggest it should be, but its mixed audience rating indicates that general viewers wouldn’t be devastated if a second season isn’t forthcoming.
In my view, it’s far more likely that Williams, Robbins, and/or Mephisto will show up in other MCU projects. Williams could be part of the cast for Marvel’s long-rumored Young Avengers project. Based on Ironheart’s mid-credits scene, Robbins could show up in another rumored Disney+ show called Strange Academy, which could star Benedict Wong’s Sorcerer Supreme and explore the Mystic Arts in more detail. As for Mephisto, given his shared history with Spider-Man, would it be too much to ask for a cameo in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Probably, but stranger things have happened.