Warning: This article contains full spoilers for the first five episodes of Marvel’s WandaVision! For more on the series, check out our breakdown of every actor, character and cameo so far and all the Marvel and sitcom-themed Easter eggs we’ve spotted. Then refresh your memory on all the MCU movies and shows in the works.
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We have a thousand questions surrounding the plot of WandaVision and how it fits into the larger MCU picture, and some of those questions were actually answered in Episodes 4 and 5. We now have a better sense of the truth behind Wanda’s sitcom-flavored fantasy bubble and why characters like Darcy Lewis, Jimmy Woo and Monica Rambeau have been drawn into this messy situation. One thing we still don’t know, however, is which character is truly responsible for the events at Westview. Is this solely Wanda’s doing, or is there a villain secretly guiding her hand from behind the scenes? And is Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes that villain? Oh, and what’s the deal with Evan Peters’ Quicksilver suddenly appearing in the MCU?
Plenty of fans have speculated Mephisto may be the true villain of WandaVision, especially given this villain’s history with Wanda in the comics. Some have even gone so far as to suggest Peters is actually Mephisto in disguise. Let’s take a closer look at the evidence suggesting Mephisto may be making his MCU debut in WandaVision and how that debut ties into the fallout of Avengers: Endgame. Now updated with new clues from WandaVision Episode 5!
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The MCU: Life After ‘The Blip’
Marvel Studios has long had a habit of treating specific events in the Avengers movies as watershed moments that influence many MCU projects that follow. The Battle of New York in the first Avengers movie laid the seeds for everything from Iron Man 3 to Agents of SHIELD to Daredevil, and you don’t get to Captain America: Civil War without doing Avengers: Age of Ultron first. With the release of first Spider-Man: Far From Home and now WandaVision, it’s becoming clear Phase 4 of the MCU will focus a lot on how our heroes deal with the fallout of “The Blip.”
It makes sense the events of Infinity War and Endgame would have such a profound and lasting impact on humanity. Half of the world’s population spent five years mourning the deaths of the other half, only for those billions of lost souls to suddenly pop back into existence. That’s not an ordeal that’s easily forgotten for either group. We see Monica dealing with that trauma in Episode 4, mourning the death of her mother and trying to ease back into an agency that moved on without her. It’s a struggle not unlike what Peter Parker went through in Far From Home, though for Monica it hits home in a deeper and more painful way.
Going forward, we can probably expect most Phase 4 MCU projects to build on the aftermath of Endgame in one way or another. In some cases the connection is immediately obvious, like with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revolving around the need for a new Captain America, or the recently announced Armor Wars dealing with the sudden spread of the late Tony Stark’s Iron Man tech. But other cases may involve more character-driven stories about the fallout of the Blip. In the case of Eternals, we could see that group of immortals coming out of hiding specifically in response to Thanos’ crimes and their guilt over the fact that one of their race decimated half the universe. No doubt there are plenty of far-reaching consequences to undoing Thanos’ snap that have yet to reveal themselves. Which brings us to…
How Mephisto and Agnes Tie Into WandaVision
There’s no overt evidence yet that Mephisto will appear in WandaVision, though the Internet is certainly full of rumors and speculation on that front. It is worth remembering that Mephisto and Wanda have an important connection in the comics. When Wanda used her magic to create twin sons, she learned they were actually formed from Mephisto’s own essence. That discovery and the subsequent loss of her children left a deep psychological scar on the Scarlet Witch for years to come. With WandaVision having just introduced young Billy and Tommy to the MCU, it’s not a huge stretch to assume Mephisto is somehow involved in this version of events.
Consider this – how would someone like Mephisto respond to the events of Endgame? As a demon lord who prides himself on his collection of souls, the Blip was probably the greatest day of Mephisto’s immortal life. To gain some portion of those countless souls killed by Thanos and then to instantly lose them all five years later must really stick in his craw. To what lengths would he go to reclaim that stolen prize?
Assuming an unseen villain is pulling Wanda’s strings in this series, Mephisto makes about as much sense as anyone. Manipulating the most powerful spellcaster on the planet could be part of the demon lord’s larger plan. Mephisto has seen how easily reality can be rewritten with a literal snap of the fingers, and Wanda may be the tool he needs to rewrite the MCU all over again. Westview could be an early test run for whatever Mephisto has planned. Heck, Wanda may have even struck a devil’s bargain, sacrificing the souls of the townspeople in exchange for the bodies she needs to populate her illusion. Saving these innocents may not be as simple as pulling them out of Westview.
If Mephisto is involved in the events of WandaVision, it’s likely he’ll turn out to have been hiding in plain sight. Has he taken the form of Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes or SWORD director Tyler Hayward? Is he somehow connected to the missing person from witness protection mentioned by Jimmy Woo? Or will this soul-stealing villain reveal himself in another way?
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Agnes and Ralph or Lilith and Mephisto?
Agnes may well be the most mysterious character in the series so far. There’s clearly something off about her, even by the usual standard of life in Westview. Agnes has a strange habit of always popping up whenever Wanda needs an item or a helping hand. She also clearly has a deep interest in Wanda’s personal life and her children. As we see in Episode 5, Agnes even takes it upon herself to help Wanda get “back in character” and put the sitcom illusion back on track.
So what do we know about Agnes? She seems to have a deeper understanding of the Westview situation than most, and she has a vested interest in maintaining that illusion. She also seems keen to help Wanda raise Billy and Tommy to an accelerated maturity, suggesting the twins may be at the heart of Agnes’ own plans. Episode 5 even implies Agnes may have killed poor Sparky, possibly in the hope of spurning Wanda to resurrect a dead soul.
This would all certainly seem to play into the theory that Agnes is Mephisto and is manipulating a very unstable Wanda. If Mephisto craves souls, perhaps the idea of a spellcaster who can create living beings out of nothing is deeply appealing. That would explain why Mephisto is helping Wanda bring the Westview illusion to its natural conclusion.
That said, it’s worth remembering that Agnes has made frequent references to her unseen husband Ralph. There’s surely some significance to those teases. Is it possible “Ralph” is Mephisto and Agnes is another demonic entity like Lilith? Lilith masquerading as Agnes certainly fits, given both her track record of allying with Mephisto in the comics and the fact that she’s mother to a number of demonic races in the Marvel Universe. Wanda may be the key to the creation of a newer and more powerful breed of monster.
Running with that theory, is it possible Evan Peters isn’t actually playing Quicksilver, but rather Mephisto taking the form of Wanda’s brother? We can’t ignore the fact that Pietro debuted just in time to distract Wanda from her fight with Vision, and Wanda doesn’t seem to have conjured him herself. We’re not sure why Mephisto would impersonate a different version of Pietro, but his arrival does come at a critical time in the lives of Wanda and her family. “Ralph” may have decided to stop working off-stage and take a direct hand in manipulating Wanda.
Mephisto as a Recurring MCU Villain
If Mephisto is indeed revealed to be the secret villain behind the curtain in WandaVision, we doubt this series will mark the end of his story. Mephisto is far too significant and powerful a character to be defeated over the course of one nine-episode sitcom. As we’ve recently seen in the comics, Mephisto has been orchestrating dark events in the Marvel Universe for literally billions of years. And given how often the comics tend to hint at upcoming developments in the MCU lately, that alone may be cause to assume Mephisto is headed to live-action soon.
We know WandaVision will directly set the stage for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Wanda herself playing a key role in the movie. Presumably, the events of WandaVision will show how dangerous Wanda’s powers are without actual training in the supernatural arts, forcing Strange to begin training her. Or, depending on just how dark WandaVision gets by the end, she could even be a major villain in that movie.
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Assuming Mephisto is behind the mystery of the show, if Wanda is carrying over to Doctor Strange 2, then we have to figure Mephisto will, too. He’s a natural fit as an antagonist to the Sorcerer Supreme. If WandaVision hints at a larger plan for Mephisto, Multiverse of Madness may be where that plan really takes shape. Will Mephisto seek out other universes with souls for the taking? Will he try to find a reality where the Blip was never undone? Mephisto and Strange could well become the warring demon and angel on Wanda’s shoulders, each trying to push this powerful, volatile sorceress in a different direction.
There’s also the Doctor Strange-centric Spider-Man 3 question to consider. We’re previously speculated that sequel might draw from the infamous One More Day storyline, wherein Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson traded their marriage to Mephisto in exchange for Aunt May’s life, and where Peter’s secret identity was restored. At the time we assumed any One More Day-inspired storyline in the next Spider-Man movie would remove Mephisto from the equation, but now we’re not so sure. Is WandaVision introducing Mephisto now so that both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man 3 can make use of the villain later? Just how deep might this supernatural rabbit hole go in Phase 4? We can only wait and see.
Where do you think Mephisto is most likely to appear in the MCU? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Why This Major Marvel Villain May Be Behind WandaVision