MCU Phase 4 Director Confirms Its Biggest Villain Rumor Was Never Planned

Matt Shakman has confirmed that a major villain, who was heavily rumored to be appearing in WandaVision, was never actually a part of Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 plan. WandaVision kicked off Phase 4 of the MCU and the Multiverse Saga in 2021, marking the first of Marvel Studios’ TV shows on Disney+. The series caught up with Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany’s Vision in the wake of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, taking place in a sitcom-style world created by Maximoff’s reality-altering power as the Scarlet Witch. However, many suspected another villain may have been behind the Westview Hex, yet this powerful foe never actually made an appearance.

During a recent interview with Inverse, in which he promoted the upcoming release of his Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, WandaVision director Matt Shakman addressed resounding rumors that emerged during the Phase 4 series. These rumors suggested that Mephisto, Marvel Comics’ depiction of Mephistopheles from Faust legend, was set to debut during the Disney+ series. However, Shakman has now confirmed that “Mephisto was never a part of [Marvel’s] plan” for WandaVision, with the series instead focusing on Kathryn Hahn’s Salem witch Agatha Harkness and the Scarlet Witch herself as the villains. Nevertheless, Mephisto has still been heavily rumored to be appearing in any number of upcoming MCU projects.

There were some deep readings of the text that led to certain conclusions that were wrong. Mephisto was never a part of our plan. So that was a head-scratcher. But hey, he’s a great character.

Mephisto Could Be Coming To The MCU Soon

Even though theories that Mephisto would appear in WandaVision never came to fruition, the villain has since been speculated to be debuting in several MCU projects. Recent rumors have suggested that Mephisto could be making an appearance in Ironheart, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, or even his own dedicated Special Presentation. These emerged following Sacha Baron Cohen’s casting in Ironheart in an undisclosed role, which has since been labeled “Mystery Man,” and Parker Robbins, a.k.a. the Hood’s, connection to demons in Marvel Comics. Anthony Ramos will debut as Robbins in Ironheart opposite Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, so it’s possible Mephisto could also be introduced.

The prospect of a Special Presentation focusing on Mephisto is also an exciting one, particularly since Marvel Studios’ previous Special Presentations (Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special) have both performed well. Mephisto is a terrifying and powerful villain in Marvel Comics, and one of the longest-running villains at that, having debuted in 1968’s Silver Surfer #3. His connection to a wide variety of characters that have already been established in the MCU, including Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Scarlet Witch, means Mephisto would fit into the MCU’s current timeline perfectly, even if rumors of his debut in WandaVision didn’t pan out.