Avengers: Doomsday could include the return of one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful villains, as a new tease includes an unexpected connection. Josh Brolin’s Thanos was the main villain of the MCU’s Infinity Saga. The character led to one of the most shocking endings in movie history, as Thanos snapped half the universe away in Avengers: Infinity War.

With Thanos ᴅᴇᴀᴅ — killed twice in Avengers: Endgame — the MCU has now moved on to a villain I believe to be even better, Doctor Doom. Before that, the studio had other plans for the Multiverse Saga, but after Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors was fired by Marvel, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom became the main villain of the MCU.

That does not mean he will be the only villain in Marvel’s highly anticipated new Avengers movies. After all, multiple superhero teams have already been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, with Fox’s original X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers, and Sam Wilson’s Avengers among them. Doctor Doom could need help from other villains, and a new tease suggests one possible return.

Mephisto Finally Made His MCU Debut In An Iron Man Legacy Series

The Devil Has Long Been Rumored For The MCU

Mephisto is an MCU villain who Marvel fans have waited four years to finally see in the franchise. Back in 2021, Mephisto was the fan-favorite rumor for Disney+’s WandaVision. While that did not come to pᴀss, the character would be rumored for subsequent Marvel projects, with the WandaVision spinoff Agatha All Along name-dropping Mephisto and confirming his existence in the MCU.

Of all the places for the villain to enter the MCU, Marvel Studios sure chose an interesting project for it to happen. Recently, Sacha Baron Cohen debuted as Mephisto in Ironheart, the new MCU series focused on Iron Man’s MCU replacement, Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams. The show dealt with the dangers of mixing technology and magic, and Mephisto appeared in the finale.

Cohen’s Mephisto was everything I expected him to be. Like in Marvel Comics, the MCU’s Mephisto is a master manipulator, easily closing deals with The Hood and Ironheart. Mephisto is also extremely powerful, able to open portals, freeze people, and even resurrect Riri’s best friend, Natalie. Mephisto’s debut in an Iron Man-related show before Downey appears as Doctor Doom is intriguing.

Robert Downey Jr. Just Teased Mephisto’s Possible Appearance In Avengers: Doomsday

The Marvel Movie Will Feature At Least One Major MCU Villain

Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast has been revealed, but it did not include Mephisto. That said, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has already claimed that more actors who will be in the MCU movie have yet to be announced. Given how Marvel revealed the Avengers: Doomsday cast in March and Mephisto only debuted in July, adding Cohen would have been a spoiler.

Recently, Robert Downey Jr. shared an Avengers tease with a new video. As Avengers: Doomsday filming continues, the actor teased two Marvel comics in a new video, and one of them is confirmed to connect to the MCU, while the other is thought-provoking. One of the comics is from the 2015 Secret Wars event, connecting to 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

The other is Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, which features Doctor Doom and Iron Man fighting on the cover and a storyline that includes Mephisto. Doctor Doom betrays Iron Man, as the two go to Hell, and Tony Stark discovers Doom traded him to Mephisto for a magic artifact. Doom claims Mephisto will destroy the world to manipulate Iron Man.

Kevin Feige Already Commented On Mephisto’s MCU Future

Marvel Studios Could Further Develop The MCU’s Supernatural Corner

After Mephisto’s MCU debut in Ironheart‘s finale, many theories about where he could show up next started to emerge. I have to say that I was initially afraid that Marvel could spend years without using Mephisto, as has been the case for many new characters introduced in the Multiverse Saga. However, it seems like there is a clear plan for Mephisto.

At a press conference (via GamesRadar+), Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige addressed what the future holds for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto. According to Feige, “the potential is clear” for Mephisto in the MCU now that the devil has finally arrived. The executive also commented on how Mephisto was never meant to appear in WandaVision, even though MCU theories were aplenty.

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Interestingly, Feige also noted how Mephisto played an important part in Thanos’ story in Marvel Comics. The main villain of the Infinity Saga might be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but Josh Brolin has already teased that Thanos could return to the MCU in the future. With Mephisto now in the franchise, it is possible that their paths could still cross in the MCU.

How Mephisto Could Fit Into Avengers: Doomsday

The Avengers Movie Could See Doctor Doom Find Allies

I believe there are a couple of ways in which Mephisto could fit into Avengers: Doomsday‘s story. If Robert Downey Jr.’s tease of Iron Man: Legacy of Doom ends up connecting to the movie, perhaps Doctor Doom could blame Mephisto for the multiverse’s collapse or his real plans, manipulating the MCU’s heroes to help him like he did Iron Man.

Another possible connection to the comic is that Downey’s Doctor Doom makes a deal with Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto in Avengers: Doomsday. In the comic book, he traded Iron Man for a magic artifact. Ironheart already showed how Mephisto has access to magic, as he gave Parker Robbins a magic hood that turned him invisible, bent bullets, and more.

In exchange for something mysterious, as has been his M.O. in the MCU so far, Mephisto could give Doctor Doom the magic abilities Downey’s villain possesses in the comics. With Avengers: Doomsday filming at the moment, perhaps new casting details could become available soon, which could include Cohen’s Mephisto.