Breaking Down the ‘Ironheart’ Season Finale’s Massive Marvel Reveal and Submit-Credit Scene

After two weeks on Disney Plus, Ironheart aired its season finale throughout a three-episode drop on Tuesday evening. Although the present did not function a automobile for Riri Williams’ introduction into the Marvel universe, it is introduced in new and not-so-new characters that we acknowledge from the comedian books and larger MCU — even when a few of them have been solely current in spirit. 

The penultimate episode noticed Riri, Ezekiel/Joe and Parker confront their daddy points in their very own methods, with the latter placing a gun to his father’s head and seizing his dwelling and firm. Although he has Ezekiel below his thumb, he nonetheless does not know Riri is alive. She acquired busy working along with her household and Zelma Stanton to forge new armor created from components of her stepfather’s automobile. Sadly for her, by the tip, she misplaced her bestie and AI assistant Natalie when magic was uploaded to her swimsuit. That is a double heartbreak over Natalie’s loss.

Magic has a value, does not it? It is one thing we have seen with Physician Unusual, Agatha Harkness and Scarlet Witch. 

Nonetheless, Riri put a plan in movement to tackle The Hood within the lead-up to the finale. She desires the cloak for her personal causes. I’ll break down what occurred within the finale episode, that being who confirmed up on the finish and what it might all imply for the MCU. If you have not watched the sequence or these final three episodes, don’t learn any additional. Spoilers forward.

Parker’s path to The Hood and his undoing

Opening this episode with Parker’s path to demonic deal-making helped viewers notice how he wound up with the hood and the markings on his physique. Up to now, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Lucifer-like character (“What’s your biggest want?”) appeared with nefarious intentions, together with his insidious act of consuming pizza with a fork and knife. This is not aligned with how they meet within the Marvel comics, however we all know Parker mainly sells entry to his soul in change for cash and energy. 

When Riri reveals up on the pizza spot to struggle The Hood, she has to get by way of Joe first, who’s magically programmed like a puppet to guard Parker in any respect prices. She figures out a artful technique to override his tech and shut him down. After this and the careless transfer Riri made that acquired Joe locked up, they are not precisely pals however not raging enemies, both. “Joe’s gone. I’ve hundreds of thousands of {dollars}’ price of weapons inside me, and no concept the place to place this anger.” He tells her to deal with Parker and lets her know that the 2 of them aren’t achieved. What does that imply?

Parker/Hood is not too stunned when a totally alive Riri confronts him in his loft, however he is thrown off by her use of magic. They battle, his demon-esque facet pops out, and she or he prompts her “emergency protocol” to stop him from destroying them each. It appears like Riri’s blown up her swimsuit — and The Hood — as she crawls by way of items of scrap. Parker is okay, goals a gun at a teary-eyed Riri with the intention of taking pictures her “for John.” Nevertheless it’s all a hologram! 

She seems behind him, snatches the cloak off him and leaves him writhing on the ground in agony. “Do not you see what it is doing to you?” Now, this feels just a little hypocritical as a result of she desires the hood for her personal designs, however however, she leaves Parker begging for it again and walks out. 

With nice pizza, comes the nice Mephisto

Following her tussle with Parker, Riri takes the elevator downstairs to Desperito’s Pizza. That crafty fork-and-knife pizza-eating demon is ready on the desk. He snaps Riri out of her swimsuit and makes it vanish whereas imploring her to take a seat with him. She realizes he is the supply of Parker’s hood, and he begins his gross sales pitch about serving to her obtain her goals. “I have been watching you. Rooting for you. Wanting to satisfy you for a while now as a result of I like the distinctive, the pushed, the dogged — somebody inquisitive and curious.” 

Homing in on her underdog complicated, he affords to assist and lays it on thick by including that he is aided all 100 folks on Forbes’ richest record. Then he hits her with a combo of telepathy and saying Riri’s personal phrases aloud of “constructing one thing iconic.” Her response? It was mainly, “Yeah, OK, Dormammu.” 

A guttural snort alerts that is not who that is, and he tells her she will be able to name him Mephisto. Yeah, it is the Mephisto so lots of you have got been ready for since WandaVision, Multiverse of Insanity and Agatha All Alongside. He is right here, and he is insulted that anybody would suppose Dormammu is powering the cloak. How impolite of us. 

Finally, he asks her what she desires, then reads her thoughts as she remembers her recollections with Natalie — the true one and the AI model. He pushes her to simply accept his assist, and assures her “the catch” is one thing “she will not miss.” The digicam cuts, ending their interplay earlier than we see her reply. 

A brand new scene reveals a desk coated with magical provides and candles, and Riri analyzing sorcerous seals and mathematical formulation. A voice calls her identify, she appears up, and it is Natalie. Riri says, “It labored?!” and rambles about her superior AI creation. However that is flesh-and-bone Natalie, introduced again from the useless, they usually’re each shocked and confused. 

In a flashback, Riri did certainly shake fingers with Mephisto, and that is confirmed after we see black traces crawl up her arm as she hugs Natalie. 

Ironheart’s mid-credits scene 

A short while after the credit roll, Parker seems and walks into Stanton’s store. His head is roofed, however there are traces of blackened traces on his face — so his demonic connection is clearly not damaged. 

It is his and Zelma’s first assembly, however he wastes no time asking for magical assist. Uncertain that she’s able to greater than methods, he implies he desires to see “what’s within the again.” Zelma stares him down as he says, “I do know you do not know me, no less than not but. However in case you’re up for it, how about just a little abracadabra?” She shrugs, and the scene cuts. 

What does all this imply for the MCU? 

Oh, Mephisto’s presence can go in a number of instructions, however keep in mind this sequence marks the tip of Section 5. Section 6 remains to be within the Multiverse Saga, so so far as realities and timelines go, there’s room for resurrections, shape-shifting, dimension hopping, actuality bending and extra drama within the cosmos. Mephisto’s comedian e-book entanglements have him concerned with Spider-Man, the Unbelievable 4, Silver Surfer, Loki, Victor Von Doom (aka Physician Doom) and a bunch of different heroes and villains (yeah, Moon Knight and Scarlet Witch, too).

It would not be fully unattainable to see Mephisto making offers with Peter Parker or anybody else in Spider-Man: Model New Day, and undoubtedly do not be stunned if Marvel drops him into Avengers: Doomsday. This demon’s comedian storylines with the Avengers, Doc Doom, and even the Maximoff twins may very well be reworked for the massive display screen in addition to upcoming TV reveals like Marvel Man or Imaginative and prescient Quest. Nothing is confirmed, however it is time to get your fan theories popping.