Spencer Pratt, the former reality star now running for Los Angeles mayor, reposted an AI‑generated clip that turned the city into Batman’s Gotham. The viral video, created by filmmaker Charlie Curran, casts Pratt as a vigilante fighting a Joker‑like Karen Bass. The clip sparked praise from GOP figures, including Jeb Bush and Matt Gaetz.

Curran’s piece relies on generative AI to splice public figures into comic‑book scenarios, eliminating the cost of sets, actors, and legal clearances. The result is a 3‑minute montage that reads like a fan film, yet it carries the weight of a political ad, blurring lines between entertainment and civic messaging, for voters and donors today.

The clip’s symbolism—Pratt as Batman, Bass as Joker, and a fictitious SP insignia—mirrors his campaign narrative that Los Angeles has degraded under current leadership and that he can restore order. Critics warn such hyper‑stylized messaging may oversimplify complex urban problems, yet it taps into voters’ frustration over homelessness and wildfires and crime rates for 2026.

The viral piece highlights how AI democratizes political imagery, allowing candidates to bypass traditional media gatekeepers. While the clip lacks official campaign financing disclosures, it demonstrates a new battleground where narrative control and pop‑culture references collide, forcing city officials to confront the growing influence of digitally manufactured persuasion on municipal elections and policy decisions today.