Let’s imagine you’re sitting in a theater, popcorn in hand, eyes glued to the screen as the villain strikes. But wait—what’s that in their hand? An iPhone? Well, if you’ve ever noticed the absence of Apple’s signature products in the hands of bad guys on screen, you’re not alone. Some say it’s all part of Apple’s ‘No Villain Clause’—a whispered rule that bans the bad guys from using Apple products in movies and TV shows.
Ah… ‘The Apple Rule’—a tech company creating cinematic morality with its gadgets. Could it be true? Is Apple really dictating which characters can use their sleek, iconic devices? Let’s unravel this curious case!
Is Apple really keeping bad guys away from iPhones?
Well, the so-called “No Villain Clause” is a Hollywood rumor that says Apple doesn’t allow villains to use its products on screen. Allegedly, if you’re playing the antagonist in a blockbuster, you’re simply not allowed to pull out an iPhone. But it’s not all cut and dry — there are no official documents or clear guidelines laying it out (check Apple’s page).
It’s more like an unspoken rule, a little piece of Hollywood folklore that everyone knows… but no one officially confirms.
Rian Johnson, the mastermind behind Knives Out (and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, just to name a few), spilled the beans in 2020 when he revealed this cheeky tidbit during an interview. He jokingly explained that Apple will let filmmakers feature their products in movies—just as long as the villain isn’t using one. To quote him (via Vanity Fair):
Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies, but – and this is very pivotal – if you’re ever watching a mystery movie, bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera. Every single filmmaker who has a bad guy in their movie that’s supposed to be a secret wants to murder me right now.
It was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it got us thinking: Why does Apple care who uses its devices? Their product placement guidelines might not outright say “no villains,” but they certainly suggest that the company wants its products to be shown in a positive light (via Apple):
You may not use an Apple trademark or any other Apple-owned graphic symbol, logo, or icon in a disparaging manner.
Translation? Apple’s gadgets need to look good, and that means not in the hands of the bad guys. That’s all well and good, but can we always spot it?
Do the villains have a plan to hack the iPhone code?
Let’s talk about examples. Take Knives Out, for instance. Every character is seen sporting an iPhone—except for Ransom Drysdale (played by Chris Evans) and Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas). Could it be a coincidence? Fans think not.
Rian Johnson even slyly nodded to the rule in his sequel Glass Onion, where a villain doesn’t even own a phone at all. And then there’s HBO’s Succession, where the big bads like Logan Roy and Gerri Kellman are noticeably without iPhones. If anything, their device of choice?
Something less Apple, more… untrustworthy.
It doesn’t stop there. Even 24, the high-octane thriller starring Kiefer Sutherland, played with this idea. The heroes? Mac users, obviously. But the villains? They were all PC folks. It’s like they had a secret code: if you’re evil, ditch the Apple and grab something more sinister.
But wait, not every villain seems to follow this “No Villain Clause.” In John Wick, for example, the man who kills John’s dog and steals his car seems to be using an iPhone. And in Trap, the serial killer uses a device that looks suspiciously like an iPhone. In Poker Face (2023), a character named Morty, portrayed by Stephanie Hsu, is indeed seen using an iPhone.
So, does the No Villain Clause really exist, or is it all just one big piece of movie lore? Well, it’s hard to say. Apple has never officially confirmed or denied it. Maybe it’s more of a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ situation, where filmmakers have to play nice with Apple if they want to feature their shiny products.
But, considering Apple’s dominance in the tech world, it’s not too wild to think they might be particular about how their gadgets are portrayed.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
