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The finale of “Ironheart” is now firmly implanted on Disney+, and the reactions, needless to say, have been explosive, much like Repulsor beams from Stark himself. The six-episode series gave an end that blasted off Riri Williams, the genius inventor, into her own armored legacy-was finally here, along with Mephisto, the sinister trickster from Marvel.
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The key art carries an ominous vibe for the finale-a dark diner down to the last detail, Riri situated across the table from an unknown silhouette, the words “THE PAST IS THE PAST” sarcastically lit up on the opposite wall. Tense. Intimate. And dripping with that kind of drama which clutches you to its bosom. Based on the dump of reactions on the present, everybody got to the grabbing stage.
Some viewers felt hypnotized. A user digitally bellowed that was “TOO GOOD” and clamored for Season 2 without a pause. Another felt the last three were a big lift from the first half and applauded the show for sticking the landing. Then, of course, shows up the whole Mephisto interruption- after so many years of fan theories, memes, and disappointments, the demonic dealmaker had finally landed the big screen.
“I’m so happy to see Mephisto finally physically be on screen after all of these crazy theories about HIM,” cried one fan. Another would begin hypothesizing how Erik Voss, the popular Marvel theorist of New Rockstars, was probably laughing to himself in glee. (Considering Voss’ history of Mephisto speculations, I do believe they’re fairly accurate.)
But it wasn’t necessarily all hype. Some, in fact, were confused after the finale; “Riri’s weird deal with Mephisto” just didn’t feel quite right. “So you mean to tell me, after 6 episodes, she still puts her trust into someone she doesn’t know??” issued one critic, which then set off loads more uproar, both agreeing that it was a fascinating character flaw and claiming it was just freaking unrealistic.
Then came the comparisons with Tony Stark. “Tony did it in a cave, why such disrespect to Iron Man?” one commenter groused, opening one massive separate can of controversy. The counters went on to claim that Riri did build her first suit under pretty much the same circumstances of secrecy and anonymity from others, proving she could do it without Stark’s money and resources. Then, of course, the usual suspects also showed up just to say that the show “ruined the Iron Man legacy,” only to be promptly ratioed by crowds who pointed out that Riri’s story is not about tarnishing Tony’s at all.
Amid all of this noise, one thing that stands out is that the giant future catapult off this finale is now another level. With Mephisto in the mix, all the theories about how Riri’s deal can play into Doctor Strange 3, Young Avengers, or even the Doomsday storyline right around the corner are going wild. Some are also hoping for Season 2. Then again, with this mixed bag of reaction, that might not be entirely probable.
‘Ironheart’, either love or hate it, has thoroughly adorned the muse-getting. Whether being the curtain rising of Mephisto, placing Riri between her heart-wrenching choices or simply well-choreographed spectacle in general, the finale has provided the kind of drama quite literally cooked for by Marvel fans. Now, the bigger question: where does Riri move from here? And where is Mephisto now?
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One thing is clear: Marvel ain’t done playing with fire. Neither are the fans.
