Sacha Baron Cohen Says Marvel’s Ironheart Team Made Him Feel Seen When He Played Mephisto
by Sari Moon · Thought CatalogBy Sari Moon
Updated 3 hours ago, October 25, 2026
Sacha Baron Cohen says Marvel’s Ironheart team was sensitive to the history of portraying Jewish people with horns when they cast him as the devil-like Mephisto, and that their empathy made him feel seen.
Playing Mephisto meant confronting an antisemitic stereotype for Cohen. Before he took the role in Ironheart, the creative team considered what casting a Jewish actor might mean given the history of depicting Jewish people with horns.
Cohen described that care during a live Happy Sad Confused podcast recording at New York’s 92nd Street Y. “I think for the Jews out there, sometimes we don’t feel seen,” he said.
“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.”
Ironheart premiered on Disney+ in 2025. Its final episode brings Mephisto face-to-face with Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, who’s offered a bargain that could bring her dead best friend back to life.
The Marvel character draws on Mephistopheles from the Faust legend and makes dangerous bargains with superheroes in the comics.
Stay in the loop with Thought Catalog — follow us on Facebook or visit our website.