As the Marvel Cinematic Universe grows ever greater, comic book fans wait with bated breath for their favorite heroes and villains to make it into this film empire. Among the characters who receive the most fan excitement and constant theory-crafting stands one powerful villain, the demon lord Mephisto.
Mephisto is Marvel’s Satan in all but name, the all-powerful lord of Hell who can often be found making questionable bargains with unsuspecting mortals. The character came to Marvel early, first as the Biblical serpent in 1953, but more recognizably in full regalia ina 1968Silver Surfercomic. His role is usually based around Faustian deals with superheroes and villains, including the contract that turns Johnny Blaze into Ghost Rider and the infamousOne More Daydeal with Spider-Man. Mephisto has the potential to be a universe-level threat, like Thanos before him, but could also appear more sporadically to shake up storylines with his powerful magic. The character has made it to the big screen once, before the MCU, portrayed by Peter Fonda in 2007’sGhost Rider.Before Agatha Harkness' grand reveal inWandaVision,fans heavily speculated that Mephisto would be the hidden villain, and fansguessing about the devil’s involvementhas been and will be a near-constant.
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Charles Dance
The great English actor Charles Dance is undoubtedly best known today for his role as TywinLannister inGame of Thrones, but his career is a storied and powerful one. Tywin alone sells the strength of will, the intimidation and the imperious cunning Dance is able to bring across in his performance. Dance began his career performing Shakespeare before high-class crowds, including starring as the title role inCoriolanus.
The actor is set to enter the DC Universe for the first timein Netflix’s upcomingSandmanas disgraced occultist Roderick Burgess. Mephisto needs a performer who seems approachable, yet intimidating, and Dance exudes that energy without effort. If the MCU chooses to depict the character in the classic red skin and massive collar or if they simply set an actor with a tasteful red suit, Dance would look perfect in the role either way.
Lee Byung-Hun
Korean superstar Lee Byung-Hun has starred in a variety of fun roles and interesting projects. The actor recently made waves in an enigmatic role in smash hit Netflix seriesSquid Game,marking perhaps his most villainous performance to date. Prior to this year, he has starred intheG.I. Joefilm franchiseas the white-clad ninja Storm Shadow and as Billy Rocks in the 2016 remake ofThe Magnificent Seven.
Outside the U.S., Lee has starred in some of the most dynamic and striking thrillers of the modern era, includingI Saw the DevilandA Bittersweet Life.Lee’s career is multifaceted and complex, marking him as an actor who works just about anywhere. He looks genuinely incredible wherever he appears, and if cast as Mephisto, his style and masterful physical performance would be inspiring.
Lance Reddick
Perhaps best known as the enigmatic hotel watchman Charon in theJohn Wickfranchise, Lance Reddick wields an incredible voice and subtle delivery to huge effect. Reddick gained fame as Cedric Daniels in the enormously popular HBO seriesThe Wire. Reddick was recently cast as franchise supervillain Albert Wesker in theupcomingResident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,a role very much in spirit with Mephisto. The character needs to be a businessman as much as he is a demon, and Reddick has cut his teeth playing corrupt cops, political operatives and secretive functionaries, all playing towards a great performance in that role.
Ted Danson
This may seem a strange choice, Danson is bestknown for multi-cam sitcomsand the almost aggressively wholesome seriesThe Good Place. Fans of that show will recall that Danson does portray a celestial figure on that series, often shifting moods and alignments as the show’s multi-layered reveals occur. What Danson would bring to the role of Mephisto is unassailable charisma; Danson could portray a demon that people would want to trust.
With Danson’s unique mix of upbeat energy and backhanded smarm, Mephisto could enjoy the benefit of hiding in plain sight for a large percent of his screentime. Once the veil finally dropped, it would give the actor a chance to work against type and flex his muscles as a cruel villain, certainly doing excellently in both roles.
Christoph Waltz
An almost obvious choice, Waltz became a household name after his performance as despicable Nazi Hans Landain Quentin Tarantino’sInglourious Basterds. Since then, he worked with Tarantino again as bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz inDjango Unchained, starred as the hunt organizer inThe Most Dangerous Game, and portrayed the iconic Ernst Stavro Blofeld in two Bond films.
His villainous streak, strange charisma and surprising intensity make him a perfect choice for the lord of the MCU’s Hell. Waltz could pull off any version of the character; whether hidden in plain sight or decked out with the full cape and make-up, he’d be a perfect choice to portray Mephisto.
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