Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has the internet talking about his recent Men's Fitness UK cover photo. The July issue of the magazine shares photos of the dramatic body transformation that Cohen, 53, recently underwent for a new role.
The creator of Borat has been filming scenes for Marvel's Ironheart, where he will be playing notorious supervillain Mephisto. To get in shape for the role, Cohen has been working with celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti.
“Some celebs use Ozempic and some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three,” Cohen joked on his Instagram Story alongside the shirtless pics. He then added, “This is not AI. I really am egotistical enough to do this.”
It didn't take long for the internet to take note of Cohen's new physique. "I'm sorry, but thirst trap Borat was not on my 2025 bingo card," said one comment on the Men's Fitness Instagram post. "Very nice, how much?" quipped another commenter, referencing Cohen's iconic Borat character.
According to the outlet, the star's workout routine is said to include 100 push-ups a day. Celebrity trainer Moretti also mentioned that Cohen's diet was "high fibre, low sugar, plenty of protein — nothing fancy, nothing extreme."
Cohen himself had this to say about his transformation: "Debuting my new character: Middle-aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes… Hard launching my mid-life crisis.”
Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige has said in a recent press conference that fans can expect to see much more of Cohen in his role as Mephisto, following his debut in Ironheart.
"Now that he's here, the potential is clear," said Feige, hinting that the villain won't just be a one-off cameo. Marvel fans will have to stick around to see if Mephisto will be a recurring character in the MCU.
Ironheart is currently streaming on Disney+.
