Sacha Baron Cohen has revealed Marvel executives approached him with particular sensitivity about playing a demonic character because of his Jewish heritage, describing the experience as a rare moment of feeling understood in Hollywood.
The British comedian and actor, 55, discussed his casting as the villain Mephisto in the Disney+ series Ironheart during a live recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast at New York’s 92nd Street Y.
Sacha, who is currently promoting his project Ali G: Who Iz I?, explained the creative team behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe series had been conscious of the antisemitic history of depicting Jewish people with horns and other devil-like characteristics when approaching him about the role.
Speaking about the production team’s consideration of his background, Sacha said: “I think for the Jews out there, sometimes we don’t feel seen.”
He continued: “We don’t feel like people can empathize with us, that we are suffering too. 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 actor’s comments concerned his appearance in Ironheart, which premiered on Disney+ in 2025 and introduced Mephisto, one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable supernatural villains, into the franchise’s live-action universe.
The character is inspired by Mephistopheles, the devil-like figure associated with the legend of Faust, and is known in Marvel comics for manipulating superheroes into bargains that can have devastating consequences.
In the final episode of Ironheart, Mephisto appears to Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, 28, and offers her a deal that could restore her deceased best friend to life.
The character’s introduction followed years of speculation among Marvel fans about when Mephisto might appear in the cinematic universe, particularly after theories surrounding the Disney+ series WandaVision.
Sacha’s casting also brought an unexpected addition to his screen career, which has largely been associated with provocative comedy and political satire.
He first achieved international fame through his fictional television interviewer Ali G, whose appearances on Da Ali G Show helped establish his reputation for confronting politicians, celebrities and public figures through improvised interviews.
The character later appeared in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse, while Sacha went on to create two other internationally recognised comic personalities – Borat Sagdiyev, the fictional Kazakh journalist, and Brüno Gehard, an Austrian fashion reporter.
His 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan became an international box-office success and earned him an Academy Award nomination for adapted screenplay.
Sacha returned to the character in the 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which attracted further attention for its political satire and hidden-camera encounters.
His latest film, Ali G: Who Iz I?, is scheduled for release in selected cinemas on 23 October, marking the return of his original comic creation more than two decades after Ali G Indahouse.
The film has already attracted controversy, with critics accusing the character of perpetuating racial stereotypes and campaigners calling for a boycott.
Responding to the backlash in an essay for Time magazine, Sacha defended the character as a means of exposing prejudice rather than endorsing it.
He said his comedy was intended to “expose prejudice, bias and stupidity, though I realise not everyone sees them that way”.
The new film also marks Sacha’s feature directorial debut and follows his divorce from Australian actress Isla Fisher, 50, which was finalised in 2025.