Will Smith: American hero

“Men in Black” (1997)

Before joining a covert organization, Smith's character J faces a gauntlet of recruitment tests pitting him against some of the nation’s toughest young Marines and Army Rangers. He gets ahead by critiquing his more decorated competitors, doubting whether they’re really “the best of the best of the best,” and sarcastically dubbing an overeager cadet “Captain America.”

Patriotic moment: J's attitude may seem like nothing more than "edgy" comedy, but questioning sacred institutions has been a defining characteristic of many of history's MVPs. Consider the look of approval on the face of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) when he's told that J “has got a real problem with authority” as a reminder of true revolutionary spirit.