“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.’ It was such an amazingly considerate, empathetic thing to say. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m good’.”
Baron-Cohen said the exchange was particularly meaningful because he felt the filmmakers had made a conscious effort to understand an aspect of Jewish history that is not always acknowledged.
“I think for the Jews out there, sometimes we don’t feel seen. We don’t feel like people can empathise with us, that we are suffering too,” he went on.
“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.”
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum documents how European Christian texts and artworks historically depicted Jews as descendants of the devil, sometimes giving Jewish figures horns, claws, and other features associated with demonic creatures. Such representations formed part of a wider tradition of religious prejudice and persecution.
Mephisto as he appears in Marvel Comics (Marvel)[Missing Credit]
Mephisto himself is a Marvel Comics villain inspired by the literary figure Mephistopheles. First introduced in 1968, he is known for manipulating people into making supernatural deals and – as with Mephistopheles’ Faustian Pact – frequently demanding a heavy personal price in return for granting their wishes.
Although the character is not presented as a Jewish figure in the Marvel universe, the production team was conscious of the historical associations that could arise from asking a Jewish actor to portray a devil-like character.
Ironheart debuted in 2025 and followed inventor Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, as she becomes entangled in a world where advanced technology meets supernatural forces.
In the closing episode, Riri strikes a bargain with Mephisto in the hope of bringing her best friend, Natalie Washington, back from the dead.
The series was created by Chinaka Hodge, with Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Coogler among its executive producers.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Mephisto in Disney+'s 'Ironheart'[Missing Credit]