The Marvel multiverse is ever-expanding, and with that comes not only a host of new characters in things like the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows on Disney+, but something that fans of the MCU have come to know quite well when we listen to actors like Ironheart’s Dominique Thorne talk about becoming a part of the franchise: intense secrecy. Even being aware of that, though, I’m still shocked after finding out when Thorne was able to confirm that major Big Bad, Mephisto, would show up.
What Did Ironheart’s Dominique Thorne Say About When She Found Out Mephisto Would Appear?
The 2025 TV schedule brought Marvel fans something we’ve been hoping would happen for years now, when the amazing Ironheart finale FINALLY delivered the multi-dimensional evil known as Mephisto, in the form of well-known actor/on-screen chameleon, Sasha Baron Cohen.
But, as we know, being a part of the MCU doesn’t automatically mean that you know exactly what’s going on at all times, even within the movie or television series you are actively filming. Star Dominique Thorne was asked by The Hollywood Reporter when she found out that her Riri Williams would be having a conversation with Mephisto, and she answered:
I didn’t know he would show up until we started filming, actually. We were finally up to that portion of our filming, so definitely the winddown. And for the duration of the shoot, we had faux names. We talked a lot about Dormammu, and we kind of focused on him but it wasn’t until we were getting ready to shoot that scene with Sasha Baron Cohen that I even knew [that was him].
While acting already strikes me as a difficult profession, I cannot imagine having to figure out how to play a scene, especially one as important as the one Riri has with Mephisto, without even fully knowing who my character is talking to and what they can do. Of course, at least it’s not like she thought she was talking to your average, human bad guy. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star knew it was going to be “another magic asshole,” just not that Dormammu wasn’t going to be the guy.
Seeing as how fans have been assuming that Mephisto would appear for about four years now, Throne was asked whether or not she felt added pressure and nerves once she realized Riri would be dealing with him. The star said:
No, I don’t think so. I definitely think a lot of that was really just the Marvel secrecy of it all, and them wanting to keep things tight so that it doesn’t slip through the cracks anywhere. On set there are millions and millions and millions of folks involved, so I totally understand them changing the characters. Even for the audition, some of my castmates told me they didn’t even know what characters they were auditioning for. They just had generic scripts with names that weren’t real and plotlines that weren’t real, so it’s not out of the ordinary.
Well, to be fair to us normies, this situation is only “not out of the ordinary” for people who star in things like Ironheart and other Marvel shows and movies. For the rest of us, this kind of extreme secrecy would probably be a deal-breaker. Luckily, Thorne is a pro, and not only was she able to handle the pressure that came with dealing with Mephisto, but she did it without going all Tom Holland about the secret!
