You’ve heard the rumors – Sacha Baron Cohen has been tipped for a role in Ironheart.
According to Deadline, the British actor could be boarding the upcoming Marvel project as a long-awaited villain – none other than Mephisto.
“A source close to the production confirmed to Deadline that there has been talk on the set about Cohen being part of Ironheart, likely playing Mephisto,” they confirmed.
Mephisto first appeared in the comic books in Silver Surfer #3 in 1968 and has been long-awaited by comic books fans eager to see him on the big screen.
One of Marvel’s more supernatural villains, Mephisto seems like an odd fit for Ironheart. After all, he more traditionally tussles with the likes of Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch, and was a major player in creating Wanda’s children, Tommy and Billy. At least, in the comic books.
Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor, and creator of an advanced, Iron Man-like suit of armor. The cast also includes Anthony Ramos, Manny Montana, Shakira Barrera, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Shea Couleé, and Zoe Terakes.
Of course, Ironheart is only the beginning.
Much like other Marvel characters, Mephisto is expected to appear in numerous projects – not just Ironheart. One possible candidate is the upcoming WandaVision spin-off, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, after Mephisto’s presence was teased in the recent Disney+ show.
Rumors of Cohen’s MCU role first began to spread on social media several days ago, with notable comic book movie accounts discussing his possible casting as Mephisto.
Cohen is perhaps most famous for Borat – the fictional Kazakhstan journalist who Cohen has brought to the bring scene to critical acclaim in both Borat and Borat 2.
He also recently starred in The Trial of the Chicago 7 and is set to star in the upcoming Apple+ series, Disclaimer.
Want to read more about Ironheart? Check out the entire cast of Ironheart (so far) and find out whether Ironheart will be the MCU’s new Iron Man.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
