Casting aligns directly with the historical figures without any alterations to established characters or imposition of contemporary diversity mandates, allowing the story to follow conventional biopic territory of ambition, corruption, and personal transformation. Director Ali Abbasi frames the film through a humanist lens as a character study of transformation rather than any ideological platform, treating Cohn's closeted homosexuality as incidental biographical detail within scenes involving orgies and AIDS rather than a platform for activist messaging. The core premise stays fixed on power, mentorship, and ruthless ambition in a specific historical era, avoiding any embedding of identity politics or systemic oppression frameworks that would shift focus away from the individuals involved.