Sacha Baron Cohen has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting as the devil Mephisto in Disney+’s “Ironheart” series. The 53-year-old comedian recently revealed in a Men’s Fitness UK spread that he underwent an intense physical transformation for the role.
The “Borat” and “Bruno” star showed off his surprisingly muscular physique, addressing skeptics on Instagram: “This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this. Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three.”
Cohen isn’t the only MCU actor raising eyebrows with unexpected physical transformations.
Just this week, Benedict Cumberbatch shocked fans by sharing he’s been eating enough to “feed a family” while bulking up for his role as Doctor Strange. The revelation puzzled many MCU followers, who questioned why a character typically seen in heavy robes and cloaks would need such a dramatic physical transformation.
The trend hasn’t gone unnoticed on social media. “The MCU’s main goal seems to be to exploit the body dysmorphia of male comedians,” one viral tweet suggested. Another critic wrote: “Sacha Baron Cohen took the Gervais path of starting out a funny cult comedian, and then when he got a glimpse of fame immediately became a complete a—–.”
Despite the mixed reactions, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has indicated that Cohen’s Mephisto will have a significant future in the MCU. “He was never part of WandaVision. We’ve talked about that. Matt’s talked about that. Jack Schaefer’s talk about that,” Feige clarified, addressing longstanding fan theories.
Feige added context about the character’s implementation: “He’s another character that, pre-MCU, would have been hard to do. He’s a devil. How do you do that character? But he’s a formative character.” The Marvel chief also hinted at bigger plans – “He was a big part of Thanos’ storyline in the comics. So again, now that he’s here, the potential is clear.”
The Mephisto character has long been anticipated by Marvel fans, who’ve been theorizing his appearance since “WandaVision” premiered in 2021.