Dean Cain faces criticism for claiming ‘cancel culture’ would have censored his Superman series

Ex-Superman actor Dean Cain has left fans scratching their heads after a bizarre interview in which he compared “cancel culture” to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984.

Cain, 53, is best-known for starring in a TV series about the superhero in the nineties and during an appearance on Fox News, he claimed the show would be censored if it was airing nowadays.

"This whole cancel culture thing that we're living in right now is crazy," he said. "It's like an early version of George Orwell's 1984. Up is down, war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.”

Continuing with his Orwellian comparison, Cain added: “You know, that's newspeak, and it's crazy... This stuff just all drives me insane.

“I promise you, as Superman, I wouldn't today be allowed to say [his catchphrase], 'Truth, justice, and the American Way.'"

Cain’s comments came during a discussion on a Time magazine thinkpiece, which claimed superheroes are essentially police officers in capes, accusing the genre of glorifying law enforcement.

During his interview, Cain also hit back at increased recent criticism of officers and calls to defund the police.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “They hate capitalism, they hate law and order, and they hate America.”

His views went unchallenged by host Ainsley Earhardt, who largely agreed with the actor, but on social media, it was a different story:

In June 2018, Cain himself became a reserve police officer, after being sworn in during a ceremony in Idaho. In the same year, he was elected to the board for the National Rifle Association.

Cain is a frequent guest on Fox News and while he has previously described himself as “not a Republican, I am an Independent,” he endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential run in 2016.

In the election prior, he supported Republican candidate Rick Perry.