Mephisto is one of the biggest Marvel villains the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to introduce, though they have a variety of avenues to do so. Essentially the equivalent to The Devil in the Marvel universe, Mephisto is a powerful lord of evil ruling the underworld with an iron fist, hell-bent on finding pure souls to torture and corrupt for his own sick pleasure. A powerful, supernatural entity older than the Earth itself, the MCU timeline has thus far had a difficult time integrating him into the films’ lore.
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Mephisto was originally speculated to appear in WandaVision, with the same theory resurfacing once more recently with the premiere of Agatha All Along. However, by the final episode of Agatha All Along, Mephisto was nowhere to be seen, overshadowed by another powerful supernatural entity. Luckily, there are still plenty of ways the MCU could introduce the demon lord in an official capacity.
10 She-Hulk’s Mephisto Tease Could Lead To An Official MCU Introduction
The series has already teased Mephisto’s home territory
The closest the MCU has come so far to introducing Mephisto was a brief sub-plot in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, of all things. In episode 4 of the miniseries, a low-level sorcerer in over his head taps into an infernal realm known as the Demon Dimension. Before long, the hapless wizard accidentally opens a portal to said dimension, allowing a horde of monstrous demonic creatures to seep through into reality.
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Even if these demons don’t look very similar to those Mephisto commands in the comics, this sup-plot is currently the closest thing the MCU has to a proper Mephisto appearance. This is an early sign that the MCU could actually be setting up Mephisto, despite the numerous fake-outs with WandaVision and Agatha All Along. Returning to the concept of the Demon Dimension, either in a future season of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law or a new Doctor Strange movie, would be an easy in for the villain.
9 The Multiverse Saga’s Premise Sets Up A Great MCU Debut
The entire premise of the saga makes it easy to introduce any character
Avengers: Endgame marked the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga, revolving around the capture and use of the eponymous Infinity Stones, and the beginning of the Multiverse Saga. This saga has seen an uptick in interdimensional travel via various means, whether it be quantum wormholes, magical spells, or TVA timeline-hopping shenanigans. The very premise of the Multiverse Saga has made it incredibly easy to introduce any character, let alone a powerful villain.
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Though any number of multiversal portals, Mephisto could breach into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. This might not be the most exciting entrance for such a grand villain, but it’s a convenient enough method to introduce any character the MCU needs. Whether Mephisto would need to arrive from simply the Demon Dimension or an alternate version of Earth is anybody’s guess.
8 Mephisto Could Be The MCU’s Next Major Villain
The demon lord is worthy of his own saga
There are an untold number of ways the Marvel Cinematic Universe could suddenly introduce Mephisto as a movie-long side villain. But in truth, as one of the most powerful antagonists in the Marvel comics, Mephisto truly deserves a phase of his own to shine as an overarching villain that terrorizes the Avengers across multiple movies. Rather than being an immediate, physical threat like Thanos, Mephisto’s multi-movie plans and cruel machinations could play out largely from the background, subtly manipulating events across franchises in his favor.
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Doctor Doom is slated to be the next major villain the MCU introduces, meaning it’s not an ideal time for Mephisto to come take over the show. It’s hard to say how long the MCU will even last past Phase 5 and 6, should the series still have gas left in the tank after Robert Downey Jr. comes and goes as Doom. Should the franchise go on to a third saga, however, Mephisto would be a perfect driver of the conflict.
7 Mephisto Could Lean Over A New Norman Osborn’s Shoulder
Spider-Man 4 might dabble in the supernatural
Despite being such an ancient supernatural threat, Mephisto commonly finds his ways into the stories of Spider-Man in the comics, with Peter Parker being the perfect tortured soul for the infernal villain to extract hope from. In particular, Mephisto has canonically made Spider-Man’s life miserable by influencing the slow transformation of Norman Osborn into the Green Goblin. Beyond just the experimental concoction that Osborn indulges in, Mephisto’s subtle poking and prodding has suggested an altogether supernatural brand of evil that flows into the character.
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Should Spider-Man 4 introduce a new version of Norman Osborn native to the main MCU timeline, the follow-up film could be a great spot to introduce Mephisto. Mephisto could subtly pressure Norman Osborn into becoming the Green Goblin through metaphysical means, his machinations only revealed in a devious post-credits sequence. Over the Green Goblin’s shoulder, Mephisto has a clear avenue of entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
6 Doctor Doom’s Tragic Past Could Lead Into Mephisto
The MCU’s most anticipated villain could lead into Mephisto
The Marvel Cinematic Universe made headlines with the decision to bring Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom, replacing the failed hype of Kang the Conqueror with a far more exciting Marvel villain to hold down the next two Avengers films. However, the comics present a fantastic way for Doctor Doom’s tragic origin to actually introduce Mephisto. In his comic origin, Doctor Doom is largely driven by the fate of his mother, Cynthia von Doom, a witch whose soul is captured and held by Mephisto in his hellish realm.
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The knowledge of this cruel fate drives much of Doctor Doom’s deeds, which it’s easy to see MCU slowly revealing as the impetus behind his actions over time. Once Doom is dealt with and his mother is freed, perhaps even with a redemption arc of sorts, the unapologetically evil Mephisto could step in to retaliate for freeing one of his captives. This could be a smooth way for the MCU to have one major villain flow into the introduction of another.
5 The Search For Tommy Could Lead Agatha And Billy To Mephisto
Agatha All Along’s ending could lead to Mephisto
Considering that WandaVision and its spiritual successor, Agatha All Along, were the biggest stars of the early Mephisto MCU theory, it would be fitting for a related character to herald his official appearance in the franchise. At the end of Agatha All Along, Billy and Agatha embark on a journey to go find Tommy, implying that his freed spirit is also still laying low somewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It could very well be that this journey leads them straight into Mephisto’s clutches in the Demon Dimension.
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There is some comic precedence to Mephisto being related to the creation of Scarlet Witch and Vision’s children, having a hand in their creation using the soul of a dead evil sorcerer named Master Pandemonium. This origin could be streamlined to retroactively give Mephisto a hand in the boys’ birth, collecting what he was owed when Tommy’s spirit passed on. Confronting Mephisto could be the key to resurrecting Tommy as the quick hero Speed for the Young Avengers.
4 Nick Cage’s Ghostrider Could Bring Mephisto With Him
The cameo that never was could still happen
Recently, Deadpool & Wolverine incorporated a variety of cameos from earlier non-MCU Marvel movie characters, canonizing them in the series by way of alternate reality. Recently, Ryan Reynolds revealed Ghost Rider was planned for Deadpool & Wolverine as well, with a Nic Cage cameo sadly not able to manifest. This doesn’t mean that the spectral Spirit of Vengeance could never return to the series, however.
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Interestingly, the only time Mephisto as a character has appeared in a live-action movie was in the Ghost Rider duology, played by the late Peter Fonda in the first film and Ciaran Hinds in the second. The latter could even return to the series on the back of Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider, perhaps even forming a villainous league of alternate reality antagonists just like he does in the comics with the Masters of Evil. If Nic Cage was willing to play ball, Mephisto could arrive right alongside him.
3 Vision’s Children Could Result From A Faustian Bargain
Tommy and Billy aren’t Mephisto’s only possibilities for deal-making
Like any good devil figure, Mephisto’s power often lies in his scheming, making shrewd deals with well-intentioned heroes only to make their lives miserable with their consequences. While he has a hand in the creation of Tommy and Billy Maximoff in the original comics, another confirmed series could introduce some new children that could also be born of Mephisto’s influence. Enter the upcoming Vision series, which is rumored to see Vision create his own android family just like he does in the Vision Quest comics.
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White Vision, a new version of the android uploaded into the original’s corpse, hasn’t been seen since WandaVision. This would make him a fitting vector for Mephisto to approach the MCU, offering him a family at some terrible cost. Mephisto’s awesome powers could see the creation of Vison’s daughter Vivian, adding another magically-created child of the hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2 Wonder Man Could See A Surprise Mephisto Appearance
The upcoming show could briefly touch on a comic storyline
Wonder Man might not seem like the most obvious candidate to help shepherd Mephisto into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his titular series could do so with the adaptation of a little-known comic storyline. The upcoming series Wonder Man will introduce the latest new hero to the MCU, the ion-charged Wonder Man. Wonder Man actually had a brief encounter with Mephisto at one point in the comics by way of his more famous son, Blackheart.
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Alongside his brother, the masked supervillain The Grim Reaper, the Wonder Man of the comics gets pulled into Mephisto’s demon-infested dimension by Blackheart. Here, the three do battle with the demon overlord, presenting one of the biggest challenges to Wonder Man’s powers ever. Like the Demon Dimension’s odd appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the location could return alongside its master in another unexpected Disney+ series.
1 Mephisto Could Become The Next Fantastic Four Villain Incognito
The mastermind villain is known by many names
Being such a conniving manipulator, it’s no wonder that Mephisto has appeared in a wide variety of forms across his Marvel Comics career. He’s often known to assume the identity of others in the universe, including fellow powerful villains. At one point, Mephisto even takes the form of The Maker, one of the most impactful antagonists of the Ultimate Marvel universe.
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The Maker is an alternate reality version of Reed Richards who weaponizes his vast intellect for tyrannical purposes, serving as a dark reflection of Mr. Fantastic and one of The Fantastic Four’s greatest foes. The MCU might rely heavily on The Fantastic Four going into Phase 6, meaning that The Maker could be their next major foe after Doctor Doom and Galactus. This is where Mephisto can come in, disguising himself as The Maker just like he does in the comics to further stir up trouble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025
- Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date May 1, 2026
- Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027
Captain America: Brave New World
Thunderbolts*
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Avengers: Secret Wars