Sacha Baron Cohen: Marvel Feared Jewish Devil Casting Could Offend

Sacha Baron Cohen says Marvel's "Ironheart" team hesitated to offer him the role of the demon Mephisto because casting a Jewish actor as the devil could read as antisemitic. He disclosed the exchange during a live "Happy Sad Confused" conversation with Josh Horowitz at New York's 92nd Street Y on Wednesday night.

The actor, now touring his show "Ali G: Who Iz I?," joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mephisto in last year's Disney+ series "Ironheart." He said the producers raised the concern directly at the pitch meeting.

"It was a wonderful meeting when I was offered it," Baron Cohen told Horowitz. "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.'"

His answer was brief: "Yeah, I'm good." He called the producers' approach "such an amazingly considerate, empathetic thing to say."

What lies behind the casting worry?

The stereotype linking Jewish people to horns and other demonic traits traces back to a centuries-old mistranslation of the Bible, which fueled the antisemitic myth. The Brandeis Center notes the broader pattern: "Since medieval times, Jewry has frequently been depicted as a wealthy, powerful, menacing and controlling collectivity, demanding the sacrifice of others to their own greed."

That history is why the offer required care. A studio handing the devil role to a Jewish actor without acknowledgment could have echoed imagery with roots stretching back to the Middle Ages.

How does Mephisto figure in 'Ironheart'?

Mephisto draws on the devil-like literary figure Mephistopheles. In Marvel comics, he has a reputation for tricking superheroes into deals — often in exchange for their souls. The series follows that logic. In the "Ironheart" finale, Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams strikes a bargain with Baron Cohen's Mephisto to bring her deceased best friend back from the dead.

Chinaka Hodge created the series. Ryan Coogler, director of "Black Panther," and Zinzi Coogler served among its executive producers. Marvel Studios did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.

Why does the moment matter to Baron Cohen?

The actor framed the producers' empathy as something larger than a single casting decision. "I think for the Jews out there, sometimes we don't feel seen," Baron Cohen explained. "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."

In plain terms, he credits a predominantly Black creative team with extending a sensitivity he says Jewish communities rarely receive. The disclosure comes as he continues promoting "Ali G: Who Iz I?" on tour, and it opens a rare public window into how Marvel weighs representation questions behind closed doors before a single frame is shot.