An absurd digital joke from years ago can suddenly crash a high-profile Hollywood press tour and leave a superhero completely baffled. When a viral internet joke from 2019 resurfaced during a massive promotional tour of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it proved that online culture never truly forgets a good laugh. The unexpected moment threw the spotlight back onto a hilarious fictional title, ‘CEO of S**,’ given to a beloved Marvel actor, Jacob Batalon, but why?

The chaotic origins of this legendary internet joke and how it recently disrupted a live red carpet event.

Jacob Batalon's unique moniker ‘CEO of S**’ originated in July 2019 from an ironic meme on the /r/okbuddyretard subreddit. It featured a photograph of Jacob Batalon in a grey suit from the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere paired with absurd captions. Users on a popular discussion board paired the confident image with completely random, absurd text to create a humorous contrast.

“CEO of anything,” it started. The entire joke is that it makes absolutely no sense. This specific style of online comedy relies entirely on themes to generate laughter across social media. The long-running digital joke finally crossed into reality during a recent promotional gathering in London, England.

The cast signed autographs, and the energetic crowd unexpectedly started chanting the corporate title directly at Tom Holland. Holland turned to the audience in absolute confusion before experiencing a sudden realization.

“What is this CEO thing?… CEO of s**??,” he said. He loudly questioned the corporate title before blurting out the exact phrasing of the viral joke. The joke works perfectly because Jacob Batalon portrays the innocent, nerdy Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Labelling the lovable sidekick character with an aggressive "alpha male" title created the ultimate comedic contradiction for fans.

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The Marvel star, in fact, embraced his unique online reputation while continuing his successful acting career.

Jacob Batalon completely embraces the humor behind his massive online reputation rather than showing any annoyance. During a media interview with ScreenRant, he joked that it is an absolute honor to receive such a title from fans. He also wittily joked that people seem to approach him for intimacy advice all the time now.

“I feel like people come to me for s** advice all the time,” he said. Followers across multiple social media networks continue to share the suited photograph alongside clever captions as financial advice parodies. The enduring popularity of the joke highlights the incredibly strong connection the actor maintains with younger demographics. His approachable nature has allowed the joke to thrive online for nearly seven years.

This comedic off-screen persona perfectly complements his highly successful run as the ultimate companion to Peter Parker. He remains a beloved staple of the superhero franchise, anchoring massive blockbusters like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The hilarious live interaction in London proves that classic internet jokes can still create unforgettable real-world moments for movie casts.

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What do you think about Jacob Batalon's absurd fan-given title? Let us know in the comments.