Sacha Baron Cohen says the team behind Disney+’s Ironheart addressed a potentially sensitive issue before offering him the role of Mephisto.
Speaking at a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the three-time Oscar nominee recalled how the show’s producers and directors considered his Jewish identity when discussing the demon character, who is often compared to the devil.
According to Cohen, the team wanted to make certain that the casting offer would not offend him because of the historical association of Jewish people with the devil.
“It was a wonderful meeting when I was offered it,” Cohen said. “It was primarily, I think, an almost entirely Black producing and directing team. 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.’”
Cohen described the conversation as “amazingly considerate” and empathetic. His answer to the team was straightforward: “Yeah, I’m good.”
A Moment of Recognition
Beyond resolving any concern about the role itself, Cohen said the discussion had a deeper personal impact. He explained that Jewish people can sometimes feel that their experiences and suffering are not recognized by others.
“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.”
Cohen said the empathy shown by the producing and directing team gave him a sense of being acknowledged. Calling the exchange “a moment of being seen,” he characterized the overall experience as “amazing.”
The actor’s addition to the MCU became explicit in the first-season finale of Ironheart last year, when his Mephisto was revealed. In that episode, the character had offered Parker his hooded cloak to help him achieve his desires.
ShowBiz Take
Cohen’s account puts the focus on a part of casting that audiences rarely see: the conversation that can happen before an actor accepts a role. In this instance, the Ironheart team did not simply proceed with the offer. As Cohen tells it, its members identified the character’s potentially troubling historical resonance and raised it directly with him.
That consideration clearly mattered to Cohen, even though he was comfortable portraying Mephisto. His remarks show that the significance of the meeting came not from a casting dispute, but from the team’s willingness to acknowledge why the offer could have been sensitive.
With Mephisto’s appearance now established through the Ironheart Season 1 finale, Cohen’s comments add context to how the role came together—and why the approach taken by the show’s producers and directors left such a strong impression on him.