WandaVision has already started setting up the foundations for a major shake-up in the MCU, and the force behind it all may be Mephisto, the extra-dimensional demon who serves as Marvel’s own Devil. The show features Wanda Maximoff trapped in an off-kilter world drawn from old sitcoms, living a happy life alongside her lost love, Vision. Something is obviously not right with Wanda’s new life, but it’s still unclear how Wanda came to be in this world, who created it, and who controls it.
However, the currently-released episodes have already dropped a few hints at the influences in Scarlet Witch’s world, and one of them may be Mephisto. With several shows and movies releasing in the next couple of years, Marvel needs a major villain to bridge the gap after Thanos’ defeat. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is setting up Kang the Conqueror, another power player, to possibly be the running villain of Phase 5, but Phase 4 is so far missing a clear antagonist.
WandaVision may seem like a strange choice to kick off Phase 4 and the MCU’s new TV arm, but it would be the perfect vehicle to introduce Mephisto, who is deeply tied to Scarlet Witch’s story in the comics during a well-known run that shares some eerie similarities to WandaVision’s world. While the show may not exactly be adapting the comics, the path Wanda is traveling down could very easily lead to Mephisto.
If Mephisto is coming to the MCU now, he will be bringing some major changes that will ripple out to Marvel's upcoming shows and movies. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and there’s no way a single show could neatly pack him away given his enormous potential as a villain. Mephisto’s introduction has already been teased in Loki, but it may come sooner than expected in WandaVision.
In the comics, Mephisto is a powerful demon who tempts and manipulates heroes and villains alike. Although he is not exactly the Devil, he crafts his appearance and manner to emulate Satan to exploit Earth’s belief in the all-powerful fallen angel. He rules a dominion called Hell or Hades, and he has shown up time and time again to strike bargains made to backfire on the unwitting party, project illusions, manipulate memories, and alter time. He takes a particular interest in the most powerful beings, and Scarlet Witch ranks among them in the MCU.
His deceptions brought Scarlet Witch’s life to ruins when she tried to have a family in the comics, driving Wanda into madness. Wanda used her magic to have children with Vision, but she accidentally used fragments of Mephisto’s soul to do it. She gave birth to twins, Tommy and Billy, but her happiness was short-lived. Mephisto reabsorbed the children that had been part of him all along, and the loss of her children was too much for her to bear. The children had to be wiped from her memory to lessen her trauma. With the reveal that Wanda is pregnant in WandaVision, it seems likely this story from the comics may be coming into play.
WandaVision has dropped a hint that may lead to Mephisto. When Wanda attended the fundraising meeting, neighborhood queen bee Dottie chastised another member for her negligence by saying, “The devil’s in the details.” Wanda’s neighbor Agnes doubled down on the reference by adding, “That’s not the only place he is.” The line is played off as a joke, but one that doesn’t fit the tone of the other comedic moments.
It’s not the MCU’s first tease at the introduction of Marvel’s Devil either. In the Loki trailer, one scene shows a church-like setting with a stained glass window featuring a deified red horned devil. The devil and Hell imagery is a huge nod to Mephisto’s place in Marvel, meaning he may play a large role in Loki’s forthcoming adventures. WandaVision could be setting Mephisto up to continue his manipulations across multiple stories in Phase 4.
If Mephisto is already manipulating Wanda in this world, he would hide in plain sight to do it. The likely candidate for Mephisto is the most powerful figure in the neighborhood, Dottie. She reigns over the domain of Westview with an iron fist, giving her more opportunity to manipulate Wanda. Dottie also overheard the radio message to Wanda that broke through into the sitcom world, and it affected her so severely that she shattered a glass in her hand. She recovered quickly, but it seemed like Dottie knew more about Wanda’s situation than she should.
Another clue to Mephisto’s real identity may lie in Kathryn Hahn’s character Agnes, the nosy neighbor who frequently involves herself in Wanda’s life. Her name, her signature accessory, and hints from the trailer indicate she may be Agatha Harkness, a powerful enchantress who plays a role in Wanda’s comic history with Mephisto. Agatha was the one who told Wanda of her children’s connection to Mephisto and wiped her memory after her children were gone, and Wanda later killed Agatha for deceiving her. In WandaVision, Agnes is introducing Wanda to the neighborhood, and she told her regarding Dottie, “She’s the one you have to impress.” If Agnes is Agatha Harkness, she may be fully aware of the situation Wanda is in and be leading her to Mephisto as she did in the comics.
Mephisto has the potential to be the MCU’s next Thanos, taking over Phase 4 starting with his manipulations in WandaVision. His plans could bleed into several of Marvel’s upcoming movies and shows. The tease in the Loki trailer indicates he may be Loki’s villain as well as Wanda’s, with WandaVision setting up a threat that Loki must contend with later. Mephisto could also either directly or indirectly cause Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The break in the fabric of reality that Doctor Strange faces may be part of Mephisto’s plan, or he could drive Wanda into madness by the end of WandaVision. Wanda is confirmed to be reprising her role in the next Doctor Strange. She could be showing up to help fight Mephisto and repair the damage he’s caused, or her own madness could cause the chaos of the multiverse as she becomes the villain of the movie. Either way, Mephisto is the natural connection between the two stories, and Doctor Strange 2 may not be the end of his influence on the MCU.
Mephisto is woven into the backstories of several major characters, most notably Ghost Rider. He created Ghost Rider by bonding Johnny Blaze to a demon, so Mephisto’s introduction could allow the MCU to finally bring in their own version of the popular antihero. He was tied in with Thanos in the comics, but his role is taken by Ebony Maw in Infinity War, indicating they may have been saving Mephisto for a larger part in the MCU. He also has connections to several other characters not yet introduced into the MCU, like Doctor Doom and the Silver Surfer, alongside his history with current heroes like Doctor Strange. If Mephisto is coming to the MCU, WandaVision is just the beginning.
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