Director Joss Whedon is famous for assembling the most formidable superheroes on screen, and he may very well be credited for another “heroic” deed.
The 52-year-old filmmaker gathered a bunch of A-listers for the “Save the Day” campaign, a clip highlighting the importance of the upcoming US presidential elections, while also taking thinly veiled shots at Republican front runner Donald Trump.
The three-minute public service announcement (PSA) is a star-studded affair that includes Marvel Cinematic Universe actors Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo, along with other recognizable names from the movie industry.
The campaign did not mention Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump by name, but actor Don Cheadle highlighted the importance of not electing a “a racist, abusive coward who could permanently damage the fabric of our society,” apparently referring to the controversial Trump.
Leslie Odom Jr. even poked fun at the 70-year-old business mogul in a less subtle way saying, “Do we really want to give nuclear weapons to a man whose signature move is firing things?”
By the end of the clip, the PSA has the stars telling viewers jokingly that if they vote, Mark Ruffalo will do a nude scene in his next movie.
“Wait, what?” a surprised Ruffalo said. “They should just vote because it matters.”
Whedon’s PAC has already raised $1 million for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, while a string of new videos will also be released aiming to attract various demographics with low voter turnouts, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The clip garnered 700,000 views on Facebook within hours of its release, and plenty more views on other news websites.
The “Save the Day” website, meanwhile, described itself as “a short-form production company dedicated to the idea that voting is a necessary and heroic act.” Khristian Ibarrola