Marvel Studios Ironheart will introduce one of Marvel Comics’ most ruthless villains to the MCU: Parker Robbins, aka The Hood. Anthony Ramos will be playing Robbins and was introduced at D23 by Kevin Feige, though little was revealed about his origins or motivations. Footage from Ironheart did, however, show a very comic-accurate-looking cloak on The Hood and a new rumor indicates that its origins may be a bit less comic-accurate.
According to My Time to Shine Hello, Robbins’ cloak, which is the source of many of the magical powers he wields in the comics, will be connected to the demon Mephisto. In the comics, the cloak originally belonged to Dormammu, who used it to possess Robbins at one point. With Mephisto filling the role, it’s likely that Ironheart will feature Mephisto, the Great Corrupter, sinking his claws into Robbins and making a deal for his soul, as he does.
Fans have believed Mephisto was going to appear in every Marvel Studios’ project for the last several years and no doubt some of them will pound their chests to tell you that they were right; however, finally introducing the Master of Malice to the MCU opens up a wealth of new stories that can be told, including the long-gestating Ghost Rider project and a comic-accurate origin for the Silver Surfer!
An additional rumor suggests that the actor bringing the Dread Persuader to life in the MCU will be Sacha Baron Cohen. While Cohen is most well-known as his wild antics Borat, Ali G. and others, he recently received praise for more serious work in Netflix’s The Spy and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Trial of the Chicago 7, his third nomination as he was also nominated for the screenplay of both Borat films.
Cohen’s versatility as a performer makes him a fascinating choice for Mephisto, should the rumor prove to be true. A deal to play Mephisto would likely keep the Cohen busy for quite some time because, as comic fans know, Mephisto has found himself in just about everyones’ business at one time or another.
