Many viewers are wondering what happens to Zelma Stanton particularly after the ending of Ironheart. The conclusion of the six-episode Disney+ series leaves quite a teaser during its post-credits scene (well, technically it’s a mid-credit scene). Those with knowledge of the Doctor Strange comics will know about Zelma Stanton, but the way she is introduced in the show is quite different and how it ends gives a hint of the character’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here’s an explanation of what Marvel might have in store for Zelma Stanton beyond Ironheart.
What’s next for Zelma Stanton after the Ironheart ending?
It is suggested that Zelma Stanton helps Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, by possibly introducing him to the Sorcerer Supreme, which is currently Wong, and potentially getting his soul back from Mephisto.
The mid-credits scene shows Parker in a regular black hoodie entering Stanton’s Sweets, Reads & More, shown earlier as the candy storefront for prodigious witch Zelma Stanton and her sorcerous mother Madeline Stanton. After asking around, Parker asks Zelma (who doesn’t recognize The Hood) about “heavy-duty magic” and Zelma assures him that this is the place he’s looking for, despite the store looking like a regular sweets shop. He then clarifies his request, saying that he needs “Supreme-like help” and wants to be shown “the stuff in the back.” When Zelma questions him about how he knows about that, he suggests that they can do “a little abracadabra,” which makes her quite uneasy.
This scene is a clear setup for Strange Academy, something which Marvel Studios is reportedly considering turning into a television series or film. Earlier this year, it was said that Strange Academy and other shows like Nova and Terror, Inc. would be put on hold, so it’s unclear whether anything will come out of this post-credits teaser. For those who don’t know about Strange Academy, it’s a school founded by Doctor Strange to train those with magical abilities, which would include both Zelma and Parker.
As mentioned in Ironheart, Zelma’s mother stepped away from her studies at Kamar-Taj of Doctor Strange fame to raise her daughter, providing a thread that would connect Parker to the Sorcerer Supreme. Madeline would most likely object helping someone connected to the dark dimensions, given her reaction to discovering the origins of the hood’s fabric in Episode 4, but the emergence of Mephisto as a threat would force the issue. Zelma is also a prodigy when it comes to magic and has said that she wished she had been raised in Kamar-Taj to learn, so her attendance in a would-be sorcerous academy is in the cards.
Given that Ironheart was shot several years ago, it’s unclear how the credits scene will impact the MCU overall. Marvel Studios still needs to make a decision on what to do with their prior plans for Strange Academy and would likely need to consider what the third Doctor Strange movie would be like before moving forward with any show that involves Zelma Stanton and Parker Robbins.
