The eventual fourthMarvel Cinematic UniverseSpider-Manmovie is in an excellent position to use one villain thatSpider-Man: No Way Homeskipped out on.No Way Homeis an extremely loose adaptation of theOne More Daycomic storyline, which saw Peter Parker – whose secret identity became public knowledge in theCivil Warstory arc – sacrifice his marriage with Mary Jane Watson to save a dying Aunt May and erase the world’s knowledge of his dual identity as Spider-Man. Spider-Man is in a somewhat similar predicament inNo Way Home, but relies on a different Marvel character.
InOne More Day, Spider-Man seeks the assistance of several allies as he tries to save Aunt May, but it is the supervillain Mephisto who ends up being the only person capable of helping Peter. Mephisto – who is tied to various Marvel figures, such as Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, and Ghost Rider – is a near-omnipotent cosmic being who offers to save Aunt May and restore Peter’s secret identity in exchange for his and Mary Jane’s marriage. Mephisto’s prominence in the comic storyline raised some major theories about his debut inthe MCU timeline, but never came to pass.
Remember When Spider-Man: No Way Home Convinced Marvel Fans Mephisto Was Coming?
Unsurprisingly, given the premise ofNo Way Home, some viewers suspected that Mephisto would be making his MCU debut in the film, either worsening Peter Parker’s woes or being the one to fix them. Doctor Strange is notably quite eager to help Peter Parker by altering reality to make everyone forget his double identity, and it was this particular behavior thatspawned theories that Strange was actually Mephisto in disguise. This, of course, turned out to be false, as Doctor Strange’s eagerness to help Peter was motivated by both sympathy and confidence in the simplicity of the reality-altering spell.
Multiverse Of Madness Secretly Set Up Mephisto After All
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have included a Mephisto easter egg, which could explain Sinister Strange’s Darkhold corruption.
Mephisto remained absent inNo Way Home’sending, which saw Doctor Strange alter reality once again, this time to fix the damage caused not only by him and Peter but also by the Green Goblin. To fix the ruptures in the multiverse and return the alternate universe villains to their respective realities, Strange had to erase the world’s knowledge of Peter Parker, not Spider-Man. In the end, Peter’s secret identity was secret once more, but he was alone, givingNo Way Homea far more melancholic ending thanOne More Day, even with Mephisto’s absence.
Mephisto Was Part Of Another MCU Conspiracy Theory
BeforeNo Way Home,Mephisto was theorized to have been the villain ofWandaVision. The series saw Wanda Maximoff trapped in a series of surreal sitcom-like situations and settings, leading many viewers to suspect that the fantasy world was Mephisto’s creation. As it turned out, the show’s real villain was Agatha Harkness, but it was Wanda herself who created and maintained the sitcom-themed alteration of Westview, New Jersey.
After two MCU properties were heavily theorized to give Mephisto his live-action debut, he is now rumored to make his debut in the forthcomingIronheart. The series will feature Parker Robbins, also known as The Hood, as one of its antagonists. The Hood is a supernatural villain with ties to Mephisto in the comics. This, combined withSasha Baron Cohen’s MCU castingas a “Mystery Man,” has once againled viewers to suspect that Mephisto will finally be making his full debut in the MCU.
Mephisto is also rumored to appear in the forthcomingAgatha All Along, whose supernatural premise makes the show a fitting property for his MCU debut. Whether the villain will in fact appear in any of these releases, however, it yet to be seen.
Mephisto was reportedly considered as a potential antagonist forDeadpool & Wolverine, which combined the FoxX-Menuniverse with the main MCU timeline, but Cassandra Nova – anX-Menvillain – was used instead.
Spider-Man 4 Would Perfectly Suit Mephisto After No Way Home’s Ending
The MCU’s fourthSpider-Manmovie has the perfect opportunity to include Mephisto, whether or not he appears inIronheartorAgatha All Along. With the world having forgotten Peter Parker, the web-slinger may wish for some way to get his old life back. This would be an opening for Mephisto to tempt Peter with the restoration of the old status quo, but there would be grim consequences for this, of course. Peter would need to come to terms with what he truly wanted and the theme of sacrifice inSpider-Man: No Way Homewould be revisited and, ultimately, preserved.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Cast
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
