Is Mephisto coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? That's the prevailing theory after the first few episodes of WandaVision, and it's hard to escape the feeling that if he doesn't show up, a lot of people will be seriously disappointed. He's certainly a fitting choice of big bad for a show like this one, and it's easy to imagine the demonic sorcerer taking Thanos' place as this shared world's new lead villain in Phase 4.
During a recent interview with Deadline, WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer was asked about the possibility of Mephisto showing up, with the trade suggesting that Agnes' husband, Ralph, might be the character in disguise.
"I cannot answer that," she said with a laugh before praising the team working on the series for helping come up with the Easter Eggs fans are dissecting after each episode. "There are so many people who have worked on Marvel productions, it’s a lot of talented people coming together and contributing their ideas that they know."
Schaeffer was also asked about how closely WandaVision will follow the comics, and said, "Like everything in the MCU, there’s the version that exists in the comics, and the version that makes it to the screen."
She's no fool, and clearly realises that it's best to plead the fifth when it comes to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's been teased that there are a lot of big reveals in this Friday's episode, so we might get some answers about Mephisto's possible involvement sooner than initially expected.
Share some of your WandaVision theories in the comments section below!
Click on the "Next" button below to take a look at 10
must-read comics featuring The Vision and the Scarlet Witch!
10. West Coast Avengers #45
Like his MCU counterpart, The Vision has "died" quite a few times in the comic books. One noteworthy demise came during John Byrne's classic West Coast Avengers run, but he was soon brought back to life, albeit with a different look to the one fans were used to seeing.
With no memories or "emotions," this greyed out Vision was cold, calculating, and far from his old self.
Now acting like a typical, unfeeling robot, the romance between him and the Scarlet Witch ended here, and there's a lot from this specific issue that could factor into WandaVision. Don't forget, the Vision who had the Mind Stone torn from his head in Avengers: Infinity War was similarly greyed out.
9. Ultimate Vision
This is one story we're not anticipating factoring too heavily into WandaVision, but it's worth your time.
In the Ultimate Universe, Vision - portrayed in female form - comes to the planet to warn Earth's Mightiest Heroes of the threat Gah Lak Tus poses to them. She didn't stick around for long, but this storyline offers a fascinating glimpse into how the character could be used moving forward. After all, if the version we're used to doesn't survive the series, perhaps we'll get something as different as this?
Vision has a habit of returning in different forms, and this Vision shouldn't be confused with the one the Ultimate version of Hank Pym created as an assistant alongside a robot he named "Ultron."
8. Darker Than Scarlet
Another John Byrne classic, the "Darker Than Scarlet" storyline in the pages of West Coast Avengers was the first place we got a real taste of the Scarlet Witch's madness. Of course, you'd probably be left feeling pretty unhinged too if you learned what Wanda did during this tale.
Learning that her twins were created by Mephisto and torn from her so he could restore the missing parts of his soul, poor Wanda starts losing the plot. Throw in the fact that her husband, The Vision, was now emotionless, and it's no wonder she teamed up with Magneto again.
Immortus was later revealed to be responsible for her actions, and given Kang's impending arrival in the MCU, it's hard not to wonder whether we could see something similar play out on screen.
7. Avengers: The Children Crusade
Avengers: The Children's Crusade confirmed that Speed and Wiccan were the reincarnated versions of Wanda's children, while also revealing that Doctor Doom played a role in her descent into madness.
The story of the Scarlet Witch and her children in the MCU is undeniably convoluted; Wanda unknowingly used her powers to create them, unaware that she was tapping into two pieces of Mephisto's soul. After the villain was (briefly) destroyed, the souls of each child inhabited two real kids.
It's really here that Wanda's relationship with her two superhero children is established, so if you're curious about what that looked like on the page, this is the perfect storyline to delve into.
6. Giant-Size Avengers #4
Trailers have confirmed that the Scarlet Witch and Vision are married in WandaVision, so you should definitely head back to Giant-Size Avengers #4 to delve into the comic book version.
Despite there being a lot of detractors to their relationship, the two Avengers ignored the doubters and had a double wedding with Mantis and Swordsman. Kang the Conqueror (a character with an unusual number of ties to Wanda Maximoff) showed up to cause chaos, but they ended up tying the knot.
We're not anticipating seeing a wedding like this on the small screen, but this is a great comic to check out for those of you keen on delving into the history of this marriage on the page.
5. The Vision
Tom King's critically acclaimed run on The Vision is likely where Marvel Studios got the idea to place the android and his wife, the Scarlet Witch, in the blissful setting of a classic suburban neighbourhood.
In this storyline, Vision created a wife and two kids, and tried to live a normal life. His attempt at being human didn't exactly go to plan, though, and this series also dealt with the fallout from his marriage to the Scarlet Witch. This series did a great job exploring what it means to be "alive," and it was interesting seeing The Vision make some of the same mistakes as his creator, Ultron.
This is a must-read, and a great solo series revolving around this fan-favourite android superhero.
4. Young Avengers
After The Vision was destroyed by She-Hulk (we'll get to that), a new version was created by Iron Lad.
While this new Vision technologically superior to the original, he lacked his predecessor's maturity. One of the main reasons was because his brain patterns were based on Iron Lad instead of Wonder Man's, and considering the fact Iron Lad was actually Kang the Conqueror before he became Kang the Conqueror (time travel!), it's no wonder the Avengers weren't sure to trust him.
He proved himself a hero, though, and was ultimately destroyed by his creator. Separate to the main Vision, it's entirely possible Marvel Studios will head down this route. After all, it's clear the Young Avengers are going to assemble in the MCU at some point in the not too distant future.
3. Avengers Disassembled
"Avengers Disassembled" was an end of an era for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and it saw the team go up against all manner of threats. All of those were created by the Scarlet Witch's reality-altering abilities, and it was this storyline which put her on the map as an absolute powerhouse in the MCU.
One particularly shocking moment saw Wanda manipulate She-Hulk into losing control and tearing her husband, The Vision, in two. That was the end of him for a while, and proof that this hero had fully lost the plot...and that not even the Avengers were powerful enough to stop her in her tracks.
This could be in the MCU version's future, and we might just see Wanda turn on her fellow heroes like this.
2. Avengers #58
Avengers #58 confirmed that, yes, even an android can cry. This issue proved there was more to The Vision than being just an unfeeling robot, something we're likely to see play out in WandaVision.
Earth's Mightiest Heroes put their new teammate to the test to make sure he was a worthy addition to the team, and he was ultimately accepted into their ranks. After gaining membership of the Avengers, The Vision let just one tear fall down his cheek, our first sign that there was more to him than meets the eye.
This is a special moment in the history of the character, and a great way to learn more about his past.
1. House Of M
At the end of "Avengers Disassembled," Magneto took his daughter back to Genosha, and so it's no great surprise that Wolverine assumed the Master of Magnetism was responsible for her creation of a new reality in House of M. Instead, it was her brother, Pietro, who manipulated the Scarlet Witch.
Using her reality altering powers to create a world where mutants were the dominant species, it looked like the X-Men had finally caught a break. However, it was humans who suffered in this world.
Ultimately, Wolverine managed to restore the memories of his fellow heroes, and they set out to make things right. Wanda, distraught at what had happened to her, uttered the words "No More Mutants," and millions of them were left depowered. Only hundreds of mutants remained, but could WandaVision see this hero do the opposite, and create the MCU's mutant nation?