Disney has hidden a sneaky hint to the real villain of upcoming Black Panther spin-off show Ironheart in the show’s newly-confirmed episode schedule, fans believe.
The Easter egg lines up with previous reports that fan-favourite Marvel character Mephisto is finally set to make his MCU debut within the series.
The episode schedule for Ironheart, shared on Marvel Studios’ social media accounts, confirms the its six-episode run will arrive in two batches, with the first three episodes available June 24. But it’s the second set of episodes, available July 1, which fans are most interested in.
Here, the series’ penultimate episode, Karma’s A Glitch, includes the letter M written in red ink — something fans say suggests that this is when Mephisto himself will appear.
Mephisto is a red demonic character referred to in Marvel comics as The Devil, and he has a long history of making villainous appearances opposite characters such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch.
The character has long been expected by fans to eventually make an MCU appearance, with many believing he would debut in Wandavision, or last year’s Agatha All Along. But multiple reports by Deadline have pegged Ironheart as the character’s place of debut — and stated that Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen is playing the role, in a mix of live-action and CGI.
Riri’s notebook = unlocked. 🔓
Check out the official #Ironheart episode guide and stream on @DisneyPlus starting June 24. pic.twitter.com/cIJrILXbAi
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) June 17, 2025
While Ironheart follows the further adventures of tech genius Riri Williams, introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a trailer released last week delved more into the upcoming series’ magical side — and revealed the heroine would wear a magic-powered Iron Man-style suit.
Fans say that the show’s blending of technology and magic hints at something more fantastical bubbling under its MIT-set surface, and while earlier trailers have focused on Williams’ relationship with the magically-gifted Parker “The Hood” Robbins (Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos), this character is likely just a gateway to the series’ true magical source.
While not part of Ironheart’s officially-announced cast, Deadline reported in late 2022 that Baron Cohen had filmed scenes for Ironheart in a secret role, believed to be that of Mephisto. For now, Disney is keeping quiet about the actor’s involvement — though it seems we know when to expect his arrival.
Ironheart is the next chapter of the MCU set to debut, following the big screen launch of Thunderbolts*/New Avengers earlier this year, and the highly-anticipated arrival of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, 2025.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
