Los Angeles, CA – October 14, 2025 – In a bombshell interview that’s rippling from Hollywood to Detroit’s auto row, action legend Harrison Ford has shattered four decades of stoic reserve with 10 razor-sharp words that detonated the simmering Super Bowl feud between Jeep and Ford Motor Company. “Jeep steals hearts, but Ford builds empires,” the 83-year-old Indiana Jones icon declared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, his gravelly timbre cutting through the studio like a bullwhip. The line, clocking in at precisely 10 words, has gone nuclear on X, amassing 12 million views in hours and sparking a viral storm of memes, think pieces, and CEO shade-throwing.
The trigger? Ford’s surprise starring role in Jeep’s two-minute Super Bowl LIX opus, “Owner’s Manual,” directed by Oscar-nominated James Mangold – his Dial of Destiny collaborator. Aired in the fourth quarter to 125 million viewers, the $32 million epic featured Ford waxing philosophical on freedom, heroism, and humility, culminating in a cheeky zinger: “This Jeep makes me happy… even though my name is Ford.” But eagle-eyed fans spotted a subliminal gut-punch: a Jeep Wrangler smirking past a dust-trailing Ford Bronco, complete with debris mocking Bronco’s build quality. Ford loyalists erupted, branding it “corporate sabotage,” while Jeep’s CMO Olivier François crowed on LinkedIn: “Harrison gets it – adventure over allegiance.”
Ford’s “10 words” retort? A masterstroke of irony, nodding to his real-life surname while torching the perceived betrayal. “I’ve dodged ads for 40 years because they feel like traps,” Ford confessed, eyes twinkling under Colbert’s lights. “But Jeep? They let me write my own script. Ford? They named a car after me – and still can’t catch up.” Insiders whisper the quip was unscripted, born from a late-night text to Mangold amid LA wildfire evacuations during filming. “Harrison’s not punching down; he’s elevating the game,” Mangold tweeted, defending the spot as “a rumination on life, not a roast.”
America’s frozen in awe. Ford stock dipped 1.2% pre-market, with CEO Jim Farley firing back via X: “Legends drive Fords – ask Indy.” Jeep sales surged 18% overnight, per Nielsen data, as #HarrisonVsFord trended globally. Environmentalists hailed the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe showcase, but Bronco forums seethe with “Jeep Wave? More like Jeep Wipeout!” memes. Even Colbert, wiping tears, quipped: “Han Solo just Force-choked the competition.”
This isn’t just ad wars; it’s cultural Armageddon. As Ford preps Captain America: New World Order, his words echo louder than any box-office bomb. Has the man who outran boulders just outrun Big Auto’s egos? With midterms brewing and EV mandates looming, these 10 words could rewrite Detroit’s playbook. Hollywood whispers of a sequel spot – or lawsuit. For now, the nation’s holding its breath, waiting for Indy’s next crack.
