The ending of Marvel Television’s Ironheart featured a surprising cliffhanger that make the development of one currently-paused Marvel Cinematic Universe series much more likely. Ironheart rounded off Phase 5 by introducing a whole host of new characters to the MCU, including Parker Robbins’ Hood (Anthony Ramos), his crew of low-level Chicago-based criminals, Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich), and Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah). The latter’s appearance and magic-use in Ironheart perfectly sets the stage for Marvel Studios to finally make the Doctor Strange spin-off that previously looked dead.
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So could we be about to see the Strange Academy brought to life in the MCU?A Marvel Television series exploring the Strange Academy from Marvel Comics, a school founded by Doctor Strange to train young individuals from a variety of worlds in the Mystic Arts, had been rumored for some time. While the project was never officially confirmed, Deadline reported in February 2025 that a Strange Academy series was one of three – along with Nova and Terror, Inc. – that has been put on indefinite hold at Marvel Studios. Even so, Zelma Stanton’s debut in Ironheart makes a live-action Strange Academy project much more likely, given her prominent role in the Marvel Comics series.
Introduced in Marvel Comics’ Strange Academy #1 in 2020, the titular school was founded by Doctor Strange and Zelma Stanton. After Strange had previously saved Stanton from mind maggots – which made an appearance in Ironheart, she became the librarian of his Sanctum Sanctorum and was a consistent supporting character of his before helping him open and operate the Strange Academy. She served as the school’s librarian and recruited new students, though Stanton was transferred to the Doom Academy in Latveria after Victor Von Doom became the Sorcerer Supreme.
In Ironheart, Zelma Stanton already showed off some impressive magical abilities, based on knowledge passed down from her mother (Cree Summer), who trained at Kamar-Taj but left the community to raise Zelma. Stanton provided the powerful spell that infused Riri Williams’ newest Ironheart suit with magic – an unlimited power source. She also proved her ability to transport herself and others to an alternate dimension, where she had constructed a safe space to experiment and train. The fact that Kamar-Taj is her “reach school” suggests she could easily cross paths with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU.
Zelma Stanton’s debut in Ironheart, and her new partnership with fellow magic-user Parker Robbins in the series’ post-credits scene, hints at her return in a possible Strange Academy series. Marvel Studios is yet to confirm the development of Strange Academy, but Echo’s Amy Rardin was working on the show prior to Marvel putting it on hold, so it’s possible it could quickly get picked up again. Ironheart might have set this up perfectly, but only time will tell.
Do you want to see Zelma Stanton return in a Strange Academy MCU series? Let us know in the comments!
