Hollywood has always been synonymous with the focal point of the US’ cultural icon for decades now, a machine that has been churning out the biggest movies, actors, and actresses in the world. Its influence on pop culture cannot be dismissed; however, it is also imperative to note that it also serves as a reflection on how the US acts on the world stage, from the perception of the US. With this, I argue that Hollywood has always been a reflection of the current state of US foreign policy. Therefore, this article will focus on three main arguments, namely that the current stance of US foreign policy is seen through Hollywood movies, the movie characters themselves embody real-life political actors, and the portrayal of certain groups of people corresponds with how the US government perceives them.
In regard to the current state of US foreign policy, it can be said that their stance towards major global issues can be seen through the movies that Hollywood has released. This can be seen through the current genocide that is happening in Gaza, where the US has still continuously been sending arms and aid to Israel to prolong its onslaught towards Gaza and its occupation of Palestine. Although there have been movies that criticize this, albeit in a nondescript way, such as No Other Land (2024), dir. Basel Adra et al., major blockbusters that have been released have not shared the same sentiment. An example of this is the movie Captain America: Brave New World (2025), dir. Julius Onah, in which it has an Israeli character as one of its main protagonists. Ruth Bat-Seraph, the supporting protagonist, is an Israeli-born American who served as the security advisor to the movie’s US president, Thaddeus Ross, which is something that is parallel to the current administration. Furthermore, throughout the movie, Bat-Seraph has been actively assisting the main movie’s protagonists, namely Sam Wilson and Joaquín Torres, further cementing the positive view of Israel. With the situation in Palestine, it can be said that with the influence Hollywood movies have, especially ones that are highly marketable and designed to be watched by the general public, it goes to show that this movie helps support the positive light of Israel that the US government is vehemently advocating, especially during Trump’s second administration, thus further distorting the view on the Israel-Palestine issue itself.
Apart from the stance, it can be argued that the characters themselves parallel real-life political leaders, particularly during the shift from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. During this time, particularly in 2008 and 2009, the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of Obama’s were marked, thus marking a shift in the US’ approach to the global war on terror. In contrast to how the Bush administration approached the GWOT, with a very much “war mentality,” the Obama administration focused the GWOT on merely warring on Al-Qaeda and preventing the re-establishment of the Taliban in Afghanistan (Sloan, 2011). It was also in 2008 that The Dark Knight (2008), dir. Christopher Nolan, was released in theaters; thus, it can be said that Obama can be likened to Harvey Dent (Cobb, 2018). This is because Obama serves as a “white knight” from the previously violent Bush administration on how it tackled the GWOT (Cobb, 2018). In the movie, Dent is seen as a way to eradicate crimes in Gotham City, simultaneously putting an end to Joker’s schemes through legal and policy-making means. This is in line with how Obama tackles terrorism, as in contrast to Bush’s approach to terrorism, he offers a more pragmatic and less aggressive way to eradicate terrorism. If Obama is likened to Dent, then Bush is paralleled with how Batman handles crime in Gotham City. Batman’s approach towards eradicating crime in Gotham has always been violent, as is the “war mentality” that Bush holds in order to eradicate terrorism. Even in the movie, Batman says to Dent himself that he is “the symbol of hope I can never be…the first legitimate ray of light in Gotham in decades,” which is similar to how Obama is a “ray of light” to US foreign policy, especially after years of an aggressive foreign policy under Bush during his crackdowns on terrorism in the Middle East (Cobb, 2018).
Finally, it can be argued that the portrayal of certain groups of people in Hollywood reflects how the US government views these people as well, especially in the depictions of Arabs and Muslims. The example that will be used to further discuss this argument is Iron Man (2008), dir. Jon Favreau, and their depiction of Afghans and Arabs. In the movie, Tony Stark was captured in Afghanistan by terrorists after a missile presentation to the US Army; however, the depictions of these terrorists are somewhat comical, as they all have similar facial features with “dark-hooded eyes” and a large hooked nose as well as their perpetual scowls (Bryant, 2011). This is similar to how people in the US government portrayed terrorists at that time, likening them to people who are brown and Muslim. Hollywood movies, such as Iron Man, only push this stereotype further, as shown by an analysis done by Corbin (2017) that in over 900 Hollywood movies, Arab men and Muslims are usually depicted as the antagonists. In a post-9/11 world, a stereotypical depiction of Muslims as terrorists and inherently evil is further exacerbated, especially with the then ongoing GWOT.
In conclusion, Hollywood can indeed reflect the current state of US foreign policy, especially ones that are highly relevant during a certain time period. Its stance on Israel on the Israel-Palestine issue is reflected through the supporting antagonist in Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Ruth Bat-Seraph, an Israeli working closely with the American government; Harvey Dent’s actions in Gotham City to eradicate crime; Obama’s approach in tackling terrorism; and the depiction of Arabs in Iron Man (2008) as evil and comical. All in all, the entrenched nature of Hollywood in the US cannot be denied; thus, whether it was intentional or not, its foreign policy can be seen in even the most casual of things.
