The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most commercially successful entertainment franchises of all time. 34 Comic Book adaptations have grossed more than $31 billion worldwide, dominating pop culture and popularizing the heroes and villains who inhabited a universe that Marvel legend Stan Lee once described as "the world outside your window."  That verisimilitude has held up through stories about Norse gods, talking raccoons, shrinking men and alien invasions. But even after more than 16 years of continuity over films and television, audiences have managed to suspend disbelief...until recently.

2010's "Iron Man 2" is a movie that served as a clunky plot bridge that would lead up to 2012's "The Avengers." Up until a few weeks ago, one could enjoy a witty line addressing the recasting of Col. James Rhodes, a hammy Mickey Rourke performance and some silly dancing from Sam Rockwell. But about 26 minutes into the film, there's a cameo of Tesla/SpaceX/ regular X CEO Elon Musk, dapping up Tony Stark at a swanky restaurant in Monaco.  

This can no longer stand.

The world came to love Tony Stark as the quippy, charismatic "genius,  billionaire, playboy philanthropist" who would be the beating heart of the franchise. A cocky, brilliant jerk who became a messianic figure in his final cinematic appearance. He's the character audiences know has a strong BS detector. And there's no way Tony'd align himself with a sauceless billionaire who used his wealth to start a $1M a day sweepstakes for voters more likely to elect his chosen candidate. There's no way Tony would help Musk expand his wealth at the expense of the American people's rights, safety and livelihoods. And be real, if Tony Stark spotted Elon Musk at F1 in Miami, he'd likely ridicule him for engineering an electric vehicle that has a 'car wash mode.' 

Seriously, look it up. It's a thing.

Elon can buy his way into access to the presidency. But he doesn't get to stay in our movies and insist he's on the same level as Tony Stark.  That's just an insult to our collective intelligence. Tony made multiple sets of autonomous mechanized suits that could be piloted via neural link. Musk made an electric truck that looks like an industrial dumpster mated with a Yugo. 

Ya'll aren't in the same league.

I don't believe it's right to pretend that events never happened. There shouldn't be a revision of history. But we know better and can do better. That's why I have decided to start this petition for Disney to create a new edit of "Iron Man 2," excising the approximately :07 seconds Mr. Musk appears on screen sounding oddly like Kermit the Frog and making a quaint remark about 'electric jets' to the guy who debuts a F*CKING SUITCASE ARMOR just minutes later. This version can easily replace the existing cut on digital marketplaces and Disney+ without any fanfare. Nobody will know except the Marvel obsessives who plan annual marathons of The Infinity Saga.  But you'll know you have done the right thing in preserving the character of Tony Stark and keeping Marvel's 3rd smartest person on Earth from looking like he graduated from some real estate seminar posing as a university