Halo Voice Actor Steve Downes Condemns White House Video Using Master Chief Clip

Steve Downes, the long-time voice of Master Chief in the Halo series, has criticized a White House social media video that used franchise footage alongside real-world war imagery without his permission.

The video, titled "Justice the American Way," was posted on the official White House account on X and includes a montage of airstrike footage in Iran as well as scenes from popular movies, TV shows, and video games. One of the clips includes the Halo 2: Anniversary ending, in which Master Chief delivers the iconic line "Finishing this fight," followed by footage of a military strike.

Downes responded publicly on X, stating that he had no involvement in the video and does not support how his voice or the character was used.

"It has come to my attention that there is a propaganda video circulating that uses images of Master Chief and my voice to support the war in Iran," Downes stated in an email. He explained that he was not consulted about the ad and does not support the message, requesting that his voice be deleted immediately.

The video also includes footage from other series such as Deadpool, Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh, Tropic Thunder, Braveheart, Gladiator, Top Gun, John Wick, Superman, and Breaking Bad, all arranged to music inspired by the Mortal Kombat film theme.

Downes was not the only creator who spoke out. Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller, who directed Tropic Thunder, also urged the removal of the film's clip, claiming that the production never granted permission for its use and that "war is not a movie."

Meanwhile, Dan Green, who voices Yugi Mutou in Yu-Gi-Oh!, also criticized the video's use of his voice. He stated that the franchise's late creator, Kazuki Takahashi, believed in helping others and that using the character to promote violence contradicts the series' spirit.

At the time of writing, Microsoft the company behind the Halo franchise, had not publicly responded to the video or the use of Master Chief footage in the post.