Sacha Baron Cohen is no stranger to shedding his skin for a role. The man who made the world collectively cringe as Borat, Ali G, and Bruno is now peeling off a different layer entirely—one with muscles, definition, and a whole lot of protein shakes. That’s right, the King of Satire is now the King of Abs, thanks to his recent transformation into the Marvel supervillain, Mephisto.
Let’s be real for a second. When we think of Cohen, we think of awkward, lanky humor—a spindly figure prancing around in a lime green singlet, or spitting absurdities as a character who doesn’t even remotely try to look intimidating. From Borat’s bumbling, misogynistic antics to the flamboyant, over-the-top Brüno—who used his outrageous persona to satirize LGBTQ+ culture and societal stereotypes—Cohen’s comedy has often relied on his ability to embrace awkwardness and defy expectations. But it seems that all of that is, quite literally, in the past. Cohen’s latest look is not just a new chapter in his career; it’s an entirely new book, and it’s titled Absurdly Shredded. (Okay, maybe not the title, but you get the vibe.)
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This week, Cohen shared his Men’s Fitness UK cover on Instagram, flaunting a physique that’s, well, far from his previous characters. There’s no lime green singlet in sight. Instead, we see Cohen, 53, flexing his bulging muscles in a series of shirtless shots. And if you thought this transformation was just some Instagram filter magic or Marvel budget wizardry—think again. Cohen worked for this body. And when we say worked, we mean the kind of dedication that’d make any gym bro both jealous and terrified.
“Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three,” Cohen quipped in his Instagram stories. It’s the self-aware, self-deprecating humor we know and love, but with a twist of… well, a lot of protein powder.
Cohen’s journey to Mephisto’s muscular build didn’t happen overnight. In fact, the actor reached out to Matthew McConaughey—yes, that McConaughey—for advice on how to get into superhero shape. McConaughey’s response? Alfonso “The Angry Trainer” Moretti. And just like that, Cohen embarked on a new chapter in his career, one that involved a lot of sweat, a little bit of anger (we’re assuming), and a lot of pushups.
Speaking of Moretti, he didn’t waste any time in assessing Cohen’s physique. On their first Zoom call, Moretti made the actor strip down to his underwear for a full assessment. “He looked like a ruler, straight up and down,” Moretti said. But don’t let that “ruler” image fool you. Moretti quickly spotted the “athlete in hiding” within Cohen. Despite the actor’s Borat days of, well, anything but strength, there was potential beneath the surface.
And sure enough, Cohen dove headfirst into the grind. 100 pushups a day? No problem. For someone used to crafting comedic characters and navigating chaos, pushing through an intense training regimen was just another role to master. According to Cohen, he started his fitness journey with “the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish,” but now? Well, let’s just say if jellyfish had biceps, it’d be Cohen. By the time he slipped into Mephisto’s costume for Ironheart, his physique had transformed so dramatically that the costume had to be altered not once, but twice to accommodate his new, shredded self.
And let’s not forget the true MVP of this entire transformation—trainer Alfonso Moretti. According to Moretti, Cohen trusted the process, followed the plan to a T, and turned out looking “absolutely incredible.” He even got the honor of being on the Men’s Fitness cover with Cohen, which is like the fitness trainer version of winning the Oscar.
But what really makes Cohen’s physical transformation even more impressive is his open embrace of his mid-life crisis. “Hard launching my mid-life crisis,” Cohen posted on Instagram, referencing the fact that he replaced beer with protein shakes. There’s a level of authenticity here that’s just too good to ignore. Cohen isn’t playing the “muscled Marvel villain” for some fleeting comic-book role; he’s embodying it with his trademark self-awareness and humor. If there’s one thing that we all appreciate about Cohen, it’s that even in his most serious (read: buff) form, he never stops making fun of himself.
Now, back to Mephisto. Marvel’s Kevin Feige recently confirmed that Cohen’s role as the devilish supervillain will be pivotal in future MCU storylines, but the details are still as cryptic as a Marvel end-credit scene. In the comics, Mephisto has tangled with Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, and of course, Thanos. He’s a devil of few words, but many contracts, offering Faustian bargains to heroes in desperate situations. And if Cohen’s Mephisto has a body to match the devilish charisma of the character, we can’t help but think that the next Avengers films are in for a serious upgrade.
But let’s circle back to the important stuff. Cohen’s transformation is not just a result of a killer workout plan or diet—though those definitely helped. It’s a testament to his commitment as an actor and his uncanny ability to reinvent himself, no matter how bizarre, awkward, or impossible the character may seem. And while Marvel fans are busy speculating on the future of Mephisto, we’re still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that the man who once played Borat—a character who mocked the awkwardness of homophobia and LGBTQ+ culture—is now playing a shredded, middle-aged devil. Remember Brüno, too? That character challenged norms and embraced a controversial, exaggerated version of sexuality. Cohen has played characters that explored sexual identity in wildly satirical ways, but here he is now, more serious than ever, as Mephisto.
So here’s to Cohen, the man who took us from Kazakhstan to the MCU, and who just might end up with the best abs in the Marvel Universe. Let’s be honest, even Iron Man would be jealous.
Source: Deadline