Mephisto’s Battle With One Of The MCU’s Most Powerful Characters Was Just Set Up

Mephisto has entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the villain has already been set up to battle one of the franchise’s most powerful characters for one major reason. Mephisto was initially rumored to join the franchise four years ago in one of the MCU’s best TV shows, WandaVision. However, the devil never appeared in the show despite some teases.

Since then, Mephisto has been speculated for multiple projects. From movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home to series like Agatha All Along, many theories about Mephisto joining the MCU have emerged throughout the Multiverse Saga. The show, starring Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, was the first MCU project to confirm Mephisto’s existence after he had been rumored to appear in WandaVision.

That happened when rumors about what happened to Agatha’s son, Nicholas Scratch, were addressed in the series. It was said in Agatha All Along that her son could have become an agent of Mephisto. Now, the MCU is delving further into that concept, with the villain’s debut in Marvel Studios’ latest 2025 project, which set up a major battle for Mephisto.

Mephisto Showed Up In Ironheart To Make Deals

The Villain Had Long Been Rumored For The Show

Interestingly, Mephisto’s MCU debut finally happened in Ironheart. While the series would not have been the first place I would have thought for the villain to be introduced, it made sense. That is due to how Ironheart was not a straightforward technology story like the Iron Man movies, as it focused on the clash between tech and magic in the MCU.

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Mephisto’s influence was all over the Hood, the show’s main villain. However, he was only revealed in Ironheart‘s season finale. As had been reported, Sacha Baron Cohen plays Mephisto in the MCU, and the actor’s performance helped make the villain as unsettling as he should be. The MCU series revealed that Mephisto is very active, making deals with multiple characters.

Mephisto was responsible for Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robbins becoming the Hood, as he gifted him the mystical artifact that gave the villain his powers. However, after Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams defeated the Hood and took it away, Mephisto cornered Riri to make a deal with her. He was successful, and that deal sets up a battle with a powerful MCU character.

Ironheart’s Finale Featured A Resurrection Involving Mephisto

The Devil Has The Power To Resurrect Characters In The MCU

Parker’s deal with Mephisto consisted of the devil giving him the means to achieve the wealth and power that he wanted, all in exchange for “something he would not miss.” Mephisto offered a similar deal to Riri at the end of Ironheart‘s finale. However, the terms of their agreement were different, as Riri wanted something very different from Parker’s request.

Mephisto brought Natalie, Riri’s deceased best friend, to life instead of the NATALIE AI that had been shockingly deleted to make room for magic in Riri’s Ironheart suit. That confirmed just how powerful Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto is, as he can resurrect characters at will. Riri is now marked by Mephisto with the same scars the Hood showed throughout the season.

Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) persuading in Ironheart Season 1 Ep 6

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Mephisto’s ability of resurrection is quite interesting. As we are 17 years into the MCU’s existence, several heroes and villains have died in that time, with major characters like Iron Man and Black Widow among them. Mephisto resurrecting Natalie opens the door for the villain to do so to more people, that is, unless one Multiverse Saga character stops him.

Agatha All Along Showed Death Would Not Approve Mephisto’s Move

Agatha All Along might not have featured Cohen’s Mephisto, but it did introduce one of the MCU’s powerful characters: Aubrey Plaza’s Death. Initially thought to be Rio Vidal, a green witch, the show would come to reveal that Plaza’s character had always been the MCU’s version of Death in disguise, taking the souls of deceased characters on the show.

Agatha All Along Coven Member	Actor
Agatha Harkness	Kathryn Hahn
Billy Maximoff, a.k.a. Wiccan	Joe Locke
Jennifer Kale	Sasheer Zamata
Lilia Calderu	Patti LuPone
Alice Wu-Gulliver	Ali Ahn
Sharon Davis	Debra Jo Rupp
Rio Vidal, a.k.a. Death	Aubrey Plaza

Death had a major problem with one character in Agatha All Along. Given Joe Locke’s Billy Maximoff is the son of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and thus should not be alive, as well as how his soul took over the body of William Kaplan, who died, the character was cheating death. As expected, the MCU’s Lady Death was not happy.

If Death battled the love of her life, Agatha, for it, then Mephisto should be in her sights.

That led to a major showdown that ended with Agatha Harkness dying to let Billy live. Based on that outcome, it is clear that Death would be furious about Mephisto going around the MCU reviving characters like he just did with Natalie. If Death battled the love of her life, Agatha, for it, then Mephisto should be in her sights.

Who Would Win In A Fight Between Mephisto And Death?

One Of The Characters Has A Clear Upper Hand Over The Other

The Death (Aubrey Plaza) finally takes Agatha in Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 8 — Image via Disney+

Ironheart revealed that Mephisto is incredibly powerful. However, even he would be ill-suited for a direct confrontation with Aubrey Plaza’s Death. Sure, both of them are immortal. However, Death is the personification of an unstoppable force that will always impact all living beings in the MCU. As for Mephisto, he rules over his domain, not all of creation like Death.

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As such, I’m convinced that Mephisto would have to resort to manipulation. It is clear that he is skilled in that regard, as he managed to get into both the Hood and Riri’s heads to make them strike deals with him. Especially if he faces Death in his domain, Mephisto could find the means to escape. However, Death wins a straight fight.