Mephisto Confirmed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Ghost Rider is set to make his debut on Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 (premiering tonight), and as the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to introduce a new Spirit of Vengeance (sort of) to its sandbox, Marvel fans are excited about the prospect of having the entire supernatural branch of Marvel Comics open and accessible by the MCU.

In an effort to promote Ghost Rider’s debut on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., actor Gabriel Luna (who plays Ghost Rider and his new alter-ego, Robbie Reyes) has been doing the promotional tour for the show, and addressing questions and concerns that Marvel fans have. In the process, Luna may have inadvertently answered a lingering question about a pivotal Marvel Comics villain’s in the MCU.

Here’s what we reported on earlier, from Luna talking about Ghost Rider’s presence in the MCU with Collider:

What we [The MCU] haven’t touched on are things that can’t be explained perfectly by science. It’s a lot of really fun stuff that starts to lean into the world of Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and Mephisto, and all of these other elements that also exist there, like ghouls and goblins and all sorts of cool things. We’re happy to be the ones to break the ice on that.”

The gem here is Luna name-dropping the character of Mephisto as an official part of the MCU.

If you don’t know, Mephisto is basically the Marvel Comics version of Satan – a character inspired by the Faust legend. Like Satan, Mephisto is a demonic schemer, seducer and dealmaker, who usually holds some kind of important MacGuffin or information he’s willing to barter with Marvel heroes and villains – to benefit his own ends, of course. Mephisto has appeared at pivotal points all over the Marvel Comics universe, and has even served as the device by which major retcons have occurred (like Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s marriage being erased from history).

For the purposes of the MCU, Mephisto is a character who has strong connections to the supernatural end of the Marvel Universe, making him a potential big villain in the films and TV series of characters like Doctor Strange or Ghost Rider. Mephisto also had a role to play in the classic “Infinity Gauntlet” comic book storyline, making him a potentially big player in the coming Avengers: Infinity War storyline.

More than anything, Mephisto is a great bridge character to have appear in various places around the MCU. Better yet, given his demonic nature, those appearances could be as grand (giant CGI demon) or reserved (human host with scary eyes) as befits the project. We really hope Luna has let some exciting news slip, and isn’t simply referencing the general history of Marvel Comics.

Catch Ghost Rider’s debut on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. starting Tuesday, September 20 @ 10/9c on ABC.