Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, The Dictator) is rumored to be starring as the demonic Mephisto in a Disney+ special set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to trusted industry insider Jeff Sneider of The Hot Mic podcast, a Marvel Studios Special Presentation about Mephisto is "shooting right now" on the set of Marvel Studios' upcoming Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Moreover, Sneider further corroborated previous reports that Cohen would indeed be playing Mephisto in the MCU.
In October 2022, reports surfaced that Cohen would make his MCU debut as Mephisto in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart, a spinoff of the Iron Man franchise and a direct follow-up to the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. These reports were soon corroborated by Deadline, which cited an anonymous source close to the production. Cohen had also reportedly been spotted in the area of Pinewood Studios typically reserved for Marvel Studios productions.
Notably, the Marvel Studios Special Presentation banner has already proven itself as a vehicle for supernatural MCU projects. Marvel Studios' first Disney+ special, Werewolf by Night, marked the MCU debut of the eponymous lycanthrope, as well as characters like Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing. Disney+'s second Marvel Studios Special Presentation came in the form of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, a more sci-fi-tinged affair that serves a bridge to the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Devil in Stitches Only Has His Fun
Created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, Mephisto first appeared in 1968's Silver Surfer #3. While he is often depicted as being an archetype of the Christian Devil, Mephisto was actually inspired by Mephistopheles, a demon originating from German folklore. Mephisto is perhaps best known for his involvement in Marvel Comics' infamous "One More Day" story arc, which played out within the pages of the publisher's Spider-Man titles from late 2007 to early 2008.
Fans have long speculated when Mephisto might appear in a Marvel Studios production, with the discussion particularly heating up around the time the Disney+ series WandaVision premiered to kick off Phase Four of the MCU. Phase Four has since come to an end, and the character has yet to join the franchise. If reports are to be believed, however, it seems as though Cohen will ensure that the Devil gets his due.
Coincidentally, Cohen would not be the first Borat Subsequent Moviefilm lead to make their way to the MCU. Cohen's co-star Maria Bakalova recently joined the franchise as the voice of Cosmo the Spacedog in the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. She will reprise the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is slated to release in theaters on May 5 as the second feature film as part of Phase Five.
Source: YouTube, via The Direct