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Ironheart Season Finale Intros [SPOILER] Into MCU; Coogler Responds

It's been a long time coming, but the season finale of Marvel Television and Disney+'s Ironheart introduced [SPOILER]'s [SPOILER] to the MCU.



Article Summary

  • Ironheart season finale officially introduces [SPOILER] to the MCU.
  • [SPOILER] is revealed as the true power behind The Hood, played by Anthony Ramos.
  • The long-rumored Marvel villain meets Riri Williams in a Chicago pizza shop scene during the season finale.
  • Executive producer Ryan Coogler discusses why [SPOILER] debut fits Ironheart's story and themes.

If you've been following our coverage of Marvel Studios' MCU, then you know that there have been rumblings about a certain actor/comedian being tapped to portray a pretty impactful, "devilish" character dating back to 2022. Online chatter had the character either set to appear or directly referenced in everything from WandaVision to Agatha All Along and more – including Marvel Television and Disney+'s Dominique Thorne (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Anthony Ramos (Twisters)-starring Ironheart. With the final three episodes currently streaming, we finally got an answer in a very big way – and this point, we're throwing on our "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer – you've been warned!

Ironheart
Image: Marvel Television

With the inclusion of Ramos's Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, and a whole lot of magic, it sure seemed like the perfect setting for Sacha Baron Cohen's Mephisto to make his debut. First, we meet the mysterious figure when Parker has a one-on-one with him, where it's more than made clear that Cohen's character was the one who "gifted" Parker his powers. But it's the end of the season finale where things got really interesting, as Riri (Thorne) and what she assumes to be "Dormammu" meet in an abandoned pizza shop. After offering Riri a reality check that her situation jasn't improved, "Dormammu" offers Riri his help – if she's interested in making a deal. But not before it was clear who she was dealing with – and it wasn't Dormammu.

Ironheart
(L-R): Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Parker Robinson/The Hood (Anthony Ramos) in Marvel Television's IRONHEART, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.
Ironheart
Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Marvel Television's IRONHEART, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.

"I just absolutely love that we're not meeting him in 'WandaVision' or 'Agatha [All Along].' You're meeting him through this stressed-out, young Black genius. When you watch the show, it's like, 'Oh, that was how you always were gonna meet him.' It wasn't gonna be in 'Loki.' That's the trickster; that's how he works. That's where he's gonna be: in a pizza shop in Chicago, like, where you would absolutely never expect him," executive producer Ryan Coogler shared about debuting Mephisto during the series. When we first met her, the government wanted her. Talokan wanted her," Coogler added, noting how Mephisto wanting to make a deal with Riri is consistent with what our hero had been experiencing. "MIT don't want her. But she was always wanted. She was always desired by people who knew [her potential]. That, for me, just says so much."


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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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