![\"Sacha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sacha-baron-cohen-marvel-body.jpg\")
\u00a0Sacha Baron Cohen shows off his muscular new look on the cover of Men\u2019s Fitness UKInstagram\/mensfitnessuk<\/a><\/p>\nHow did Sacha Baron Cohen get ripped for Mephisto?<\/p>\n
The buzz began when Cohen posted the Men\u2019s Fitness UK cover on Instagram, flaunting his new physique in a series of shirtless gym photos. The surprise wasn\u2019t just his transformation, it was the intensity of it. Fans flooded the comments with disbelief, with many questioning whether the images were AI-generated.<\/p>\n
Cohen immediately shut down the speculation. \u201cThis is not AI,\u201d he captioned the post. \u201cI really am egotistical enough to do this.\u201d His trainer, Alfonso Moretti, doubled down on Instagram: \u201cSacha earned every bit of this. The images are real. I have the raw footage.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Cohen prepares to play the devilish Mephisto in Disney+\u2019s Ironheart, he credits his body makeover to a combo of 100 push-ups a day, 25-minute workouts, a protein-rich diet, and yes, Ozempic, the diabetes drug now popular in Hollywood for weight loss.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 What role does Mephisto play in the MCU?<\/p>\n Mephisto, a powerful villain drawn from Marvel\u2019s comic universe, made a surprise appearance in the Ironheart finale earlier this month. Cohen plays the manipulative figure who offers protagonist Riri Williams the chance to resurrect her dead friend as an AI, a setup that hints at Mephisto\u2019s role in upcoming Marvel storylines.<\/p>\n Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed that Cohen\u2019s Mephisto will appear in future MCU titles. While he didn\u2019t reveal which ones, Feige called the character \u201cformative\u201d and teased that he\u2019s set to play a more significant part going forward, especially considering his comic links to Thanos and Spider-Man arcs.<\/p>\n Did Ozempic help Cohen transform?<\/p>\n Cohen has been unusually candid about the tools he used to achieve his look. \u201cSome celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers,\u201d he said. \u201cI did all three.\u201d<\/p>\n He poked fun at his own transformation, writing, \u201cHard launching my mid-life crisis,\u201d and later joked he\u2019s \u201cintroducing my new character: middle-aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.\u201d<\/p>\n While Ozempic played a role in trimming fat, trainer Alfonso Moretti insisted the actor\u2019s work ethic was the true secret. Even while filming, Cohen stuck to his daily workouts and clean eating plan. So much so, the Marvel costume team had to adjust his Mephisto outfit multiple times to match his evolving physique.<\/p>\n \u00a0 What was the turning point in Cohen\u2019s fitness journey?<\/p>\n The transformation kicked off when Cohen contacted Matthew McConaughey for help, who pointed him to Moretti. On their first Zoom call, Moretti asked Cohen to strip to his underwear. \u201cHe looked like a ruler, straight up and down,\u201d Moretti recalled. But he also saw what he described as \u201can athlete in hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n Cohen, who joked that he started with \u201cthe core strength of an arthritic jellyfish,\u201d committed to daily training and saw results quickly. Within three weeks, his wardrobe team reportedly spent over \u00a33,600 (\u20b93,85,000) in adjustments as his body changed shape.<\/p>\n![\"Sacha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753440248_696_sacha-baron-cohen-marvel-body.jpg\")
![\"Sacha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sacha-baron-cohen-marvel-body.png\")