In the season finale of Ironheart, it's revealed that Parker Robbins acquired "The Hood" from Mephisto, the MCU's devil. Marvel Studios has touched on the supernatural before, but this series might be what ushers in a new era of horror-themed storytelling in the franchise's next phase.
As for Riri Williams, she also makes a deal with the devil (you can learn more in our recap), but did you catch that blink-and-you'd-miss-it shot of Mephisto's true form?
Sacha Baron Cohen plays the villain as a "human," but there's a brief reflection of his comic-accurate, demonic face in a spoon. He has red skin, white eyes, and what appear to be some pretty sharp teeth. Based on this tease, it's a real shame we didn't get to see Mephisto in all his glory.
Still, this is an effective glimpse at what could be waiting for us down the line, and we'd bet on a future MCU project like the rumoured Midnight Sons and Ghost Rider projects fully revealing what lies beneath that human visage.
Cohen does a terrific job as Mephisto and was first rumoured to be playing the character when Ironheart was in production. That means it's been at least three years since he shot these scenes, and it now remains to be seen when and where he'll return.
Hopefully, this won't be another Multiverse Saga introduction that seemingly leads nowhere (like Starfox and Hercules...oh, and Clea and, heck, even Moon Knight and Blade).
You can take a closer look at Ironheart's take on Mephisto below, along with the moment he reveals his name. We're guessing that's meant to be his real voice...
Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Television’s Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) - a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world - returns to her hometown of Chicago.
Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka "The Hood" (Anthony Ramos).
The series also stars Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White. Chinaka Hodge is head writer and executive producer; episodes are directed by Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes.
"Ironheart soars when Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, and Lyric Ross are on screen," we wrote in our 3* review, "but a by-the-numbers story means the series falls short of reaching the same heights as Iron Man. Still, the finale is an undeniable must-see."
All episodes of Ironheart are now streaming on Disney+.