Getty Image
Sacha Baron Cohen made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut earlier this year when he featured as the devil Mephisto on the Disney+ series Ironheart. In a recent magazine spread, Cohen revealed that he got ripped for the role.
Just this week, Benedict Cumberbatch — who plays Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — flabbergasted fans when he revealed he was eating enough to “feed a family” in order to get in shape for the role.
Given that Doctor Strange is a heavily-cloaked wizard, most MCU fans didn’t seem to understand why he’d need to go through such an intense fitness program.
Cohen, a comedian known for his work on films such as Borat, Bruno, and The Dictator, is the latest MCU actor to get in shape for his role, as the 53-year-old recently showed off his new physique in an interview with Men’s Fitness UK.4
Sacha Baron Cohen unveils new jacked physique to play Mephisto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
“This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this,” Cohen wrote on Instagram. “Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three.”
Similar to Cumberbatch getting ripped to play Doctor Strange, MCU fans were similarly perplexed by Cohen getting jacked to play Mephisto.
“The MCU’s main goal seems to be to exploit the body dysmorphia of male comedians,” one viral tweet joked.
“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—–,” another added.
According to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, fans should expect to see more of Cohen’s Mephisto in the coming years.
“He was never part of WandaVision. We’ve talked about that. Matt’s talked about that. Jack Schaefer’s talk about that. He was never part of WandaVision,” Feige said.
“But the enthusiasm with which he was theorized on that was certainly cool and fun to watch. And 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. He was a big part of Thanos’ storyline in the comics. So again, now that he’s here, the potential is clear.”