“He stole the mask joke” - Dean Cain fires back at John Oliver's diss over joining ICE

Dean Cain, best known for his portrayal of Superman, is facing intense scrutiny and significant media attention after announcing his plan to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

During a recent episode of the Last Week Tonight segment, John Oliver took a dig at the decision and joked about the actor's association with the agency. 

Dean did not hold back and clapped back at the television host. He called the anchor out for recycling an old mask joke and shared his perspective about the ongoing discussion.

🤣 He stole that mask joke from the internet -- and he also laughed hysterically when Trump said he was going to run for President. Case closed. 🤣
(and those movies were sweet, by the way!) https://t.co/9jQqb6h9WM

— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) August 11, 2025

Reacting to a snippet of the show shared on X (formerly Twitter), Cain pointed out the copied joke and commented,

"He stole that mask joke from the internet -- and he also laughed hysterically when Trump said he was going to run for President. Case closed. 🤣
(and those movies were sweet, by the way!)"

Everything we know about Dean Cain responding to John Oliver's criticism

While talking about President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda and the One Big Beautiful Bill on last Sunday's Last Week Tonight episode, the host aired Dean Cain's viral ICE recruitment clip.

According to a report by Entertainment Weekly, the Broken Hearts Club actor can be heard opening up about being a part of the agency to "help secure the safety of all Americans." While Cain's decision to join ICE came from an optimistic thought, Oliver did not hold back his criticism.

Reacting to the video, he remarked,

"You know, there's an old saying in Hollywood: 'If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are f*cked."

John Oliver calls out former Superman actor Dean Cain for joining ICE

"You know, there's an old saying in Hollywood: 'If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked"

"No need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are fucking zero" pic.twitter.com/ePU0jCOqD5

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 11, 2025

Poking fun at the significant announcement, John further criticized the agency for joining hands with Dean and continued saying,

"Now, I'm not saying that ICE isn't finding people. I'm just saying, when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The Dog Who Saved Halloween, The Dog Who Saved Easter, and The Dog Who Saved Summer, maybe you are in trouble."

Amid the unusual reactions on the show, John managed to slip in a backhanded reaction about the actor. Quipping that Dean would not face challenges in keeping a low profile, he chimed in,

"No need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are f*cking zero."

These statements prompted a reply from the Out of Time star himself. It was exactly what prompted him to hint at John referring to stealing a mask joke. 

During Sunday's Last Week Tonight episode, Oliver also offered viewers guidance on handling encounters with ICE agents. His advice was catered to everyone, a U.S. citizen or not. He explained,

"Attorneys told us the only two things you should say to them are: 'Am I free to leave?' And 'I want to speak to a lawyer.' That’s it. You have the right to remain silent. And I recognize that in some cases you may be unable to help yourself from saying: 'Didn’t you used to be Superman? I thought you died.' ... But that really is it."

On August 5, 2025, Dean Cain announced his decision to join ICE. Sharing the news with the world, he posted a video and asked netizens to "JOIN ICE," noting the agency needs "help to protect" the country."

JOIN ICE!!
We need your help to protect 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/cXcUaDcDhY

— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) August 5, 2025

Detailing his message, he stated,

"Hey everybody, Dean Cain here. For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So I joined up."

Urging individuals to be associated with the agency, he further elaborated,

"Here's your opportunity to join ICE. You can earn lots of great benefits and pay. Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals, including terrorists, r*pists, murderers, pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, you name it... very dangerous people who are longer on the streets."

Cain also asserted that individuals can defend their homeland and "get great benefits" in return, such as $50,000 signing bonus. The lucrative advantages also include "student loan repayment legally, "enhanced retirement benefits," and "special pay for those in the field operations and law enforcement roles." Additionally, he highlighted that a graduation degree is not a requirement to join.