WandaVision has generated an endless stream of fan theories, and they are only bound to intensify after today's incredible instalment. Recently, Esquire caught up with Paul Bettany to get his take on some of the ideas circulating online, specifically mentioning Mephisto.
Many fans are convinced that he'll be revealed as WandaVision's main villain, and it would certainly make a lot of sense for him to be established as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's big bad in Phase 4.
"So yes, the writer Jac Schaeffer, she's a bona fide genius," Bettany responded when asked about the possibility of Mephisto appearing in the Disney+ series. "I think it was really fun for her to see all the fan reactions and fan theories and some of them are eerily accurate. But this one that mentions Mephisto, I can't speak to right now, because I'm worried about getting fired."
That's a clever, non-committal answer, and Bettany was similarly vague when the site asked whether Dottie (played by Emma Caulfield) is, in fact, secretly a villain.
"Wow! That is an amazing fan theory," the clearly surprised actor responded. "Look, I'm going to be honest, I'm supposed to not confirm or deny any of this. I do not know that to be true. But there are so many things that don't seem to be true that do turn out to be true in the Marvel universe."
Bettany's comments don't clear anything up, but we're sure you'll have a fun time picking them apart!
Do you think Mephisto will appear in WandaVision?
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the identity of WandaVision's mysterious aerospace engineer!
5. Riri Williams
Riri Williams (better known as Ironheart) is finally coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the wake of Tony Stark's death, and she's getting her own series on Disney+. Chances are we'll also see this young superhero suit up in Armor Wars, but WandaVision could be a great way to introduce her.
The teenager is an engineering student in the comics, but it wouldn't be remotely difficult to have Dominique Thorne portray Riri as a prodigy aerospace engineer inspired by Iron Man's work.
After all, it feels somewhat fitting that she would build a machine capable of breaching the Hex shortly before turning her attention to creating an even more advanced suit than Tony Stark's. We all wondered why Thorne had been cast so far in advance, and this cameo could very well be why.
4. Reed Richards
The Fantastic Four are finally coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while Spider-Man 3 director Jon Watts will be at the helm, we have absolutely zero idea what to expect from this take on the team.
If we're getting another origin story (hopefully without a teenage version of Marvel's First Family), then it makes perfect sense for S.W.O.R.D. to be where they steal that spaceship from before being bombarded by cosmic rays. The Hex could be what gives Reed Richards the idea in the first place, and as an expert in all things science, he could very easily be an "aerospace engineer."
Who could play him? Well, John Krasinski remains a fan-favourite choice for the role of Mister Fantastic, and it would definitely be a Luke Skywalker-level surprise for him to appear in tomorrow's episode.
3. Amadeus Cho
Remember Helen Cho? A mostly forgotten part of Avengers: Age of Ultron, she served as an ally to Earth's Mightiest Heroes and found herself forced to help Ultron create his new body (which became Vision's).
We're not sure enough time has passed for her to have a son, but Amadeus could definitely be a relative, and an aerospace engineer with knowledge of both the tech needed to enter the Hex and Vision.
His MCU debut would be a big deal for a number of reasons. The main one is, of course, his association with the Young Avengers, but the groundwork could also be laid for him to be transformed into the Totally Awesome Hulk (potentially serving as a replacement for half-Kree, half-Skrull, Hulkling).
2. Abigail Brand
There's definitely something fishy about Director Hayward, and we're anticipating some sort of villainous reveal (he could be a Skrull, Ultron in disguise, Nightmare, or just a massive government douche). However, the introduction of this newly created character has led fans to wonder: where's Abigail Brand?
The Director of S.W.O.R.D. in the comic books, she was introduced in the pages of Astonishing X-Men, and would add another exciting female protagonist to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Monica is likely to be busy dealing with a Skrull Invasion - and a reunion with Captain Marvel - so we're not banking on her landing Hayward's job. Instead, after helping her old friend get back inside Westview, Brand (reimagined as this aerospace engineer) could become a top contender for the job.
1. Blue Marvel
Adam Brashear has served alongside both the Mighty Avengers and the Ultimates in recent years, and he holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics and a masters in electrical engineering. Those certainly sound like pretty fitting qualifications for an "aerospace engineer," don't you think?
Of course, after one of his experiments went wrong, Brashear became the hero known as Blue Marvel and is one of Marvel Comics' most prominent Black superheroes from this era of storytelling.
Throw in the fact that he's been romantically involved with Monica Rambeau, and we could be looking at a major new player in the MCU. That's exciting for a lot of reasons, and while he's not the biggest name here, he's a character with a lot of potential who brings more diversity to this shared world.