Sacha Baron Cohen has taken the internet by storm with his jaw-dropping transformation for his role as Marvel supervillain Mephisto in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. The 53-year-old actor revealed that his shredded physique is real — and yes, Ozempic played a role.

Unveiling his transformation on Instagram via his Men’s Fitness UK cover shoot, Cohen showed off a series of shirtless photos featuring him doing pull-ups and weight training. Fans were quick to react with shock and humour. “Is this AI?” asked one follower. Another wrote, “Thirst trap Borat was not on my 2025 bingo card.”

Cohen embraced the buzz, cheekily writing on Instagram Stories, “This is not AI. I really am egotistical enough to do this.” He even joked that he was “hard launching my midlife crisis” and debuting a new character: “middle-aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.”

The actor revealed that his transformation involved a trio of celebrity health hacks: Ozempic, a private chef, and a personal trainer. He credited trainer Alfonso Moretti for managing him for “25 minutes a day,” and said he even reached out to Matthew McConaughey for recommendations.

The process, Cohen said, was far from easy. On their first Zoom call, Moretti asked him to strip to his underwear to begin crafting a fitness regimen, which included 100 push-ups a day. The results? A new, ripped Sacha Baron Cohen — and fans can’t get enough.

 

Cohen’s role as Mephisto debuted in Ironheart’s season finale on July 1, marking only his second live-action appearance since Borat 2 in 2020. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has hinted that this is just the beginning. While staying tight-lipped about future projects, Feige confirmed Cohen’s Mephisto will return.

“He’s a devil. How do you do that character? But now that he’s here, the potential is clear,” Feige told reporters, teasing Mephisto’s importance in the MCU.