10 MCU Characters Who Could Make Deals With Ironheart’s Mephisto

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The following contains major spoilers from Ironheart streaming on Disney+

Introduced in the finale episode, Sascha Baron Cohen’s Ironheart character is Mephisto, Marvel’s devil character. He made a deal with Riri Williams, but during that series, he revealed he’s got a lot of irons in the proverbial Hellfire. Despite running down a vague list of his clients to Riri, fans wonder what MCU Characters might make deals with Mephisto in the future. Since fans spotted what they thought were clues in WandaVision, they eagerly awaited the introduction of this iconic Marvel Comics character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It’s almost surprising that after two series focused on magic, he debuted in a show ostensibly about technology. Because of the loss of her friend Natalie, Riri Williams makes a deal with Mephisto despite knowing it’s probably a bad idea. This is important for many reasons, but the biggest is that it signals that villains aren’t the only clientele who could make such a Faustian bargain. With the future of the MCU in flux ahead of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, several characters on either side of the moral line may be tempted like Riri. From small-time characters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to major Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, anyone is at risk to get what they most desire for Mepisto’s low, low price of “something you won’t even miss.”

10 The Villainous Influencer Titania May Be Just the Kind of ‘Loser’ Mephisto Looks For

She Lost Everything to Jennifer Walters, and She Could Do Anything to Get Back on Top

One of the most inspired adaptations of a deep-cut Marvel character is Titania in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Rather than a serious villain in the MCU, she was a kind of super-powered influencer whose morals left much to be desired. Still, that she tasted fame and success before losing it in the controversial finale episode of the comedy series may prime her for Mephisto. He could make the kind of deal with her that he made for sad-sack Parker Robbins.

There’s little information about what kind of future in the MCU lies ahead for She-Hulk, let alone the tertiary characters like Titania or Mister Immortal. Still, if Captain America: Brave New World can bring back Tim Roth’s Leader after 17 years, anything is possible. Despite her fall from grace after She-Hulk bested her, Titania’s desire to reclaim her fame and fortune makes her a prime target for someone like Mephisto, though she may not have much of a soul for him to claim.

9 Iron Man’s Forgotten Villain Justin Hammer Wants to Be on the Forbes 100 List

More Than a Decade Later, He’s Probably Set to Get Out of Prison Soon Enough

While Whiplash was the main antagonist in Iron Man 2, Justin Hammer is a big-name Marvel character who debuted in that film. Last seen in the Marvel One-Shot showing how the Mandarin came for Trevor Slattery, Hammer may be close to serving out his sentence or, at least, earning parole for good behavior. Much different from his comics counterpart, the MCU’s Justin Hammer was forever the runner-up to Tony Stark. This could mean that in or out of prison, Mephisto could make a deal with him (if he didn’t already).

Throughout Iron Man 2, Justin Hammer was clearly not as clever, capable, or even as charming as Tony Stark. He desperately wanted to be, though. After saving half of every living being in the entire universe, Stark’s shadow is one no one can get out from under. Yet his death left a vacuum in the technological and weapons manufacturing circuit, so if Hammer does want a second chance to be the “best” in those fields, Mephisto is really his only option.

8 Shang Chi’s Sister Xu Xialing Could Be Another MCU Character to Deal With Mephisto

As Leader of the Ten Rings, She Wants Power and the Marvel Devil Might Help Her Get It

Four years since the characters’ debut, there’s still hope for Shang-Chi 2 despite the director’s Spider-Man commitment. While Shang-Chi is almost certain to return in an MCU film before his sequel, his sister and the new leader of the Ten Rings, Xu Xialing, is not so fortunate. In a way, this isn’t as much of a disservice as fans think, since it could take years for her to consolidate the power her father took centuries to amass. If she’s eager for a shortcut, she could turn to Mephisto.

Just like Riri Williams, Xu Xialing is an underdog who is unwilling to give up her quest for power and wealth. This is exactly the kind of MCU character who could easily make a deal with Mephisto. No stranger to magic or powerful men, Xu Xialing might be more eager to make a deal with Mephisto than even Riri, because she may think she could eventually beat him at his own game. Her quest for power is a lifelong one after her father overlooked her. Just like with Parker Robbins, Mephisto could take that lingering family trauma and exploit it to add Xu Xialing to the list of MCU characters longing for a deal.

7 While Not Yet a Baron, Karl Mordo Is Likely Still Out in the MCU Hunting Down Sorcerers

The Character In the Doctor Strange Sequel Fans Saw Was Not the Main Mordo

After the events of Doctor Strange, the titular MCU Sorcerer lost his best friend and ally, Karl Mordo. He rejected the way Strange broke the rules, and he dedicated himself to taking out people who use or abuse magic. Of course, those who sling spells in the MCU are more powerful than Benjamin Bratt’s character who merely used magic to heal his paralysis. He may need to add to his arsenal, and as he dips further into the dark side, he may turn to Mephisto for a deal to help him do it.

In the scene where he killed Jonathan Pangborn, he told him he wanted to hunt sorcerers because they “stole” their power. If a powerful being like Mephisto offered Mordo a deal for power freely, he could easily justify accepting it as he hunted the rest of the MCU magic users. Disillusioned and committed to death, Mordo may even feel he deserves whatever damnation awaits those who deal with the Marvel devil. He’s quite likely to make a deal with the character if it gives him the power to stand against the MCU’s most powerful magic users. (If he’s still alive, of course.) While a deleted scene from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revealed that the Scarlet Witch killed Mordo, it’s not exactly canon.

6 The Infamous Power Broker of Madripoor, Sharon Carter, May Need Power of Her Own

On the Radar of Both Avengers Teams, Mephisto Could Give the Slighted Hero an Edge

In her first two MCU appearances, Sharon Carter was unquestionably a hero and helped Captain America whenever she could. Yet after their awkward kiss and facing the full might of the US Government’s scorn, she broke bad. She fled to Madripoor and became the Power Broker, giving all sorts of villains and other folks powers for profit. Yet now that both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes (to say nothing of their respective teams of Avengers) are aware of her, she may need to do some brokering with Mephisto to up her power game to survive.

Sharon Carter’s heel turn was one of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s best surprises, but the character remains underdeveloped. She explained why she became the Power Broker, but since then she disappeared into the off-screen shadows of the MCU. Slighted, angry and eager for wealth and power, she could be a prime candidate for a deal with Mephisto. He could offer her not just her own power, but the ability to grant others’ requests for power without needing super-soldier serum, gamma rays or other sci-fi things that grant powers in the MCU.

5 Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Needs a New Edge

Mephisto Could Help the Once-Powerful MCU Antagonist Get Back on Top

At the end of Thunderbolts*, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine turned the tables on the team she double-crossed by announcing them as the New Avengers. Still, this prompted Yelena Belova to whisper in her ear that the misfit heroes “own” her now. Not one to be outsmarted by a bunch of powerful ding-dongs, she could be desperate to regain the upper hand with her team of heroes and the larger government. So, even though she’s perhaps smarter than Riri Williams when it comes to the potential for dealmakers like Mephisto to double-cross their clients, she could still make a deal. Desperation is a powerful feeling for someone like Valentina.

Arguably Valentina’s meteoric rise to power, seemingly out of nowhere, means she might be an MCU character already in a deal with Mephisto. The Marvel devil could have offered his services before she ascended to the heights of wealth and power she occupied in Thunderbolts*. The way Yelena and the others outmaneuvered her in that film could be the kind of baked-in failure that comes along with Faustian bargains. Still, if not already in his pocket, Valentina is one MCU character who could easily make a deal with Mephisto and not screw it up as Parker Robbins did.

4 James Rhodes Is a Vulnerable MCU Hero After Paralysis and Skrull Replacment

Mephisto Could Offer Him the Respect and Power He Never Got from His Fellow Avengers

One of the main MCU characters revealed to be a secret Skrull in Secret Invasion was James Rhodes. It’s unclear how long War Machine was in the custody of the shape-shifting aliens, but it’s at least after he was paralyzed in Captain America: Civil War. His hospital gown suggests it was actually shortly after Civil War. Already a second-tier Iron Man, the years of captivity he endured surely didn’t help his reputation as an MCU hero or mover and shaker in the U.S. Government. Especially if his captivity began before Tony’s death in Avengers: Endgame, Rhodey might be desperate enough to turn to Mephisto.

Even the most ardent MCU defenders can’t really justify the way Secret Invasion failed to live up to its premise. The revelation about Rhodey was supposed to be a bridge to a new MCU project, but it has yet to materialize. One way MCU storytellers could have their War Machine and not skip over the ramifications of his story is if Mephisto made a deal with him. He could appear in the future Avengers films back to full power and even more respected than before. A later story could then reveal this is because of the magical intervention of Mephisto, and a deal James Rhodes made after the world dealt him so much disappointment.

3 Agatha Harkness Might Be Desperate Enough to Turn to Mephisto

To Get Around Her Jilted Ex-Girlfriend, Mephisto Could Help Her Come Back

At the end of Agatha All Along, the titular witch sacrificed herself for the greater good, but she didn’t go gently into that good night. Instead, she returned as a witch and teamed up with Wiccan to hunt for his brother. While she may be sincere in her desire to help him, she might also want to help herself. Few beings in the MCU are as powerful as Death herself, but Mephisto could easily be one of them. Somewhere along her journey, the powerful witch could be eager to make a deal with the Marvel Devil to get her body back.

Agatha Harkness wouldn’t be the only MCU character to make a deal with Mephisto and want to outsmart him. Yet, she is one of the few who might actually be able to pull it off. Centuries of studying magic and dealing with cosmic beings might give her an edge to double-cross Mephisto. In fact, she could use her deal with him to pit the devil against Death herself, letting the two powerful magical beings fight it out. Then, when the dust settles, she could again try to talk herself out of trouble with whomever survives.

2 Dead or Alive, Wanda Maximoff Could Turn to Mephisto to Get Back What She Lost

The Scarlet Witch and Mephisto Have a Deep Connection in Marvel Comics

Given how fans expected Mephisto to show up in WandaVision, the Scarlet Witch may be a prime candidate for a deal. Last seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, she is presumed dead according to Agatha All Along. Yet there was never a body, and even with a corpse, there is no guarantee that dying is the final chapter for any Marvel character’s story. When dealing with someone as powerful as the Scarlet Witch, there is every chance that Wanda Maximoff is not done in the MCU just yet. Still, whether she cheated her fate or ended up dead, Mephisto remains her best option for what’s next.

Since WandaVision, Wanda remains motivated primarily by her desire to reclaim her lost children. Agatha All Along showed they survived in a unique way, but she’s not aware of that. Also, in the comics, the Scarlet Witch stole Mephisto’s power to create Billy and Tommy. This all leads to an eventual intersection with Wanda Maximoff and Mephisto. Despite the Scarlet Witch’s power, her children are exactly the kind of leverage he could use to trick her into a deal. Still, much like Agatha Harkness, Mephisto could end up facing a client already powerful enough to take him down.

1 Peter Parker Could Make a Deal With Mephisto in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

The Comics Set a Clear Precedent for the Web-Head to Deal With the Devil

The introduction of Mephisto in Ironheart could affect Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and there is justification for a deal in both the comics and the MCU. With the death of Aunt May in No Way Home, the MCU set up the exact circumstances that sent Spider-Man to Mephisto in the comics and cost him his marriage to Mary Jane. Since the film left Peter Parker all alone and forgotten, he may just be desperate enough to turn to Mephisto for a deal, especially if he promises to resurrect Aunt May.

Unlike the comics, the MCU Spider-Man doesn’t have a history with Mephisto. If the character shows up and “remembers” Spider-Man’s lost past, that could be enough to make Peter Parker trust him. While Brand New Day is likely a much different story than the one in the comics, there remains a chance that its post-credits scene could feature Mephisto at least offering Peter Parker a deal to bring back his aunt. He could offer Peter not just the return of Aunt May but his friends as well, setting up an interesting dilemma for the next films in Tom Holland’s tenure as Spider-Man.