How the Events of ‘Ironheart’ Set the Stage for ‘Damnation’
Ever since Marvel Studios kicked off its Multiverse Saga with WandaVision back in 2021, fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the devil in the details, Mephisto. The character had been teased across multiple projects for a number of years, with fans basically turning his arrival into a meme. However, the wait is finally over. Marvel’s newest series, Ironheart, recently aired on Disney+ with an exciting new villain reveal: Sacha Baron Cohen as Mephisto. For those of us who follow comic book movie and show rumors, his appearance as Mephisto has been long anticipated. But the implications of his appearance should be far-reaching, especially in the supernatural corners of the MCU.
[Warning: Spoilers for Marvel’s Damnation storyline discussed below!]
The MCU, Mephisto, and Damnation
According to our sources, Marvel Studios currently has plans to adapt the comic event known as Damnation, a major 2018 storyline starring the Midnight Sons. The Midnight Sons team in the comic includes Blade, Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), Elsa Bloodstone, Man-Thing, Moon Knight (as Marc Spector), and Doctor Voodoo.
The main 4-issue series was written by Donny Cates & Nick Spencer, with art by Rod Reis. In the comic, Mephisto takes over Las Vegas, literally creating Hell on Earth.
As protection, he turns the Avengers into demonic Ghost Rider-style minions. Wong has to assemble a new version of the Midnight Sons to infiltrate Mephisto’s lair and end his domination before he takes over the world. In the grand finale, Johnny Blaze summons Ghost Riders from across the multiverse and sacrifices himself to defeat Mephisto.
Midnight Sons: Damnation in the MCU
Mephisto has certainly been “busy” behind the scenes for many years in the MCU. The idea being that those who have met and made a deal with him for any particular reason will one day be forced to serve him when he calls upon their souls and transforms them into demonic versions of themselves. This will affect some known characters in the MCU, such as The Hood and Ironheart, and others we don’t necessarily know yet.
While there will not be a 1:1 direct adaptation of the story in the MCU, it will be heavily influenced by those events. Mephisto will seek to conquer the Earth and establish dominion over Hell itself. This explains his current status in Ironheart, and it’s something that should be elaborated on by the time we get to the Blade movie, which is still under development, but sources have pointed towards that movie’s villain, Lilith, as one of the potential rivals to Mephisto by the time the events of Damnation come to pass.
The whole purpose is to eventually explore a story set within the supernatural setting of the MCU, with the Damnation storyline culminating in what will be a Midnight Sons movie.
Other related Marvel Studios projects
Other projects currently being developed within the Midnight Sons storyline include a continuation to Werewolf by Night, with the goal of bringing in Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing back into the MCU; a Moon Knight sequel where Marc Spector and Steven Grant would be forced to solve a mystery that would eventually bring them face-to-face with the third personality, Jake Lockley; and a Strange Academy storyline featuring Wong and America Chavez, along with some other mystical characters yet to be revealed, some of which we have already met in Ironheart, such as Zelma Stanton and The Hood.
Another character rumored to appear in Strange Academy, according to sources, would feature the debut of Nico Minoru in the live-action MCU.
Other characters we can expect to see step into the foreground for this storyline feature the long-awaited debut of Ghost Rider. Sources have informed us that Marvel Studios is currently focusing on the “Johnny Blaze” version of the character, as well as other notable demons such as Mephisto’s son, Blackheart, and Chthon.
What do you think about Marvel wanting to tackle Damnation?
Damnation is the most famous Midnight Sons arc in modern comics, and notably many of these characters have already appeared in the MCU. It’s likely that their stories could converge in a similar way with Wong recruiting them, as well as his Strange Academy members like America Chavez.
A story like this could easily intersect with Ironheart and The Hood, the witches from Agatha All Along, and the MCU introduction of Nico Minoru, finally bringing together all the supernatural elements of the MCU.
Would you like to see this storyline play out in the MCU? Let us know what you think on social media @MyCosmicCircus, or join our Patreon and private Discord to discuss!
Also check out: Midnight Sons Comics Reading Guide
