Sacha Baron Cohen Reveals Marvel’s Concerns About Casting a Jewish Actor as Mephisto in ‘Ironheart’

For years, Marvel fans couldn’t stop talking about when the devilish Mephisto would finally show up in the MCU, with theories swirling as far back as ‘WandaVision’. Sacha Baron Cohen was a popular fan-casting pick long before he officially landed the role, and his casting eventually became something of an open secret.

Now, the actor behind Marvel’s version of the devil is sharing a behind-the-scenes story about how he was approached for the part, and it’s not what most people would expect. The character made his long-awaited debut in the season finale of ‘Ironheart’, the Disney+ series that premiered on June 25, 2025.

Set after the events of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, the show follows Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, and its finale sees her strike a deal with Mephisto to bring her deceased best friend back from the dead. Created by Chinaka Hodge, the series was produced by Proximity Media, with Ryan Coogler serving as an executive producer.

Speaking during a live ‘Happy Sad Confused’ conversation with Josh Horowitz at New York’s 92nd Street Y, Baron Cohen revealed that the ‘Ironheart’ creative team took extra care when pitching him the role as a Jewish actor. “It was a wonderful meeting when I was offered it,” Baron Cohen told Variety‘s reported account of the event, explaining that it was “an almost entirely Black producing and directing team.”

According to the actor, the team was upfront about the historical baggage tied to the role. “And they said, ‘We want to offer you Mephisto, but we are aware of the negative association of Jews historically with the devil, and we want to make sure that you’re not insulted by us offering this,'” he recalled. “It was such an amazingly considerate, empathetic thing to say. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m good.'”

The concern wasn’t unfounded. Stereotypes linking Jewish people to horns and other demonic traits trace back to a centuries-old mistranslation of the Bible, which helped fuel the antisemitic myth. Since Mephisto is inspired by the devil-like Mephistopheles and is known for tricking heroes into bargains for their souls, the creative team clearly understood the optics.

For Baron Cohen, the gesture meant far more than a routine casting call. “I think for the Jews out there, sometimes we don’t feel seen. We don’t feel like people can empathize with us, that we are suffering too,” the 3-time Oscar nominee explained. “And so to have this entirely Black producing and directing team be so empathetic was a moment of being seen. It was an amazing experience.”

The comments come as Baron Cohen is on tour promoting ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’. Marvel Studios did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment on his remarks. While Mephisto’s debut finally gave fans the payoff they’d waited years for, his future remains unclear.

In ‘Ironheart’, the character had previously given Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robbins his hooded cloak to help him achieve his desires before turning his attention to Riri. Kevin Feige has previously said there are plans for the character to come back.

First trailer for ‘ALI G: WHO IZ I?’ Releasing on October 23. https://t.co/GuEBPz6bCj

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Baron Cohen himself has fueled speculation, telling Screen Rant that Mephisto is more likely to return than Borat. Some fans have even started connecting the character to ‘VisionQuest’, though nothing has been confirmed. Either way, the actor’s story offers a rare and heartfelt glimpse into the conversations happening behind Marvel’s casting decisions.

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