Mark Ruffalo Steps Up Opposition to Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Actor Mark Ruffalo is stepping up his campaign against Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning that the deal could hurt workers, consumers and competition in the entertainment industry.

Ruffalo, a four-time Oscar nominee, criticized the merger on Friday while sharing a video of Oracle executive vice chair Safra Catz discussing technology the company made available to the Israeli military. Oracle is closely connected to Larry Ellison, whose son, David Ellison, leads Paramount Skydance.

“This is the company that Larry Ellison is using to fund his son David’s Warner Bros acquisition,” Ruffalo wrote alongside the video. He argued that Oracle’s technology could eventually become connected to a much larger media company if the merger goes through.

Ruffalo also accused the deal of concentrating too much economic and creative power in the hands of the Ellison family. He described the proposed merger as a classic antitrust issue and warned that reduced competition could mean fewer choices and higher costs for consumers.

The actor pointed to claims that the merger could result in thousands of lost jobs. According to Ruffalo, about 4,500 direct filmmaking jobs and another 10,000 related jobs could be at risk.

“We have a chance to stop this,” Ruffalo wrote, noting that 12 state attorneys general are suing to block the transaction. He has previously worked with attorney Norm Eisen and other groups to oppose the deal, including through an open letter that has gathered more than 5,000 signatures.

Paramount has strongly pushed back against Ruffalo’s comments. A company spokesperson accused opponents of using antisemitic tropes and said that references to “genocide” and “apartheid” in the context of a corporate deal were inappropriate.

“We don’t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone,” the spokesperson said, calling for the debate to focus on the legal merits of the merger rather than what the company described as inflammatory rhetoric.

The company also defended its commitment to creative workers and audiences, saying it wants to move forward with “less rhetoric, more understanding.”

The dispute comes as support for the merger continues to grow in some political and business circles. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently called on the parties involved to work together and move the transaction forward.

The proposed deal has already gone through a major bidding battle. Netflix previously agreed to an $82.7 billion transaction involving Warner Bros. Discovery, but later abandoned its pursuit after Paramount Skydance made a higher offer of $31 per share.

Ruffalo and other opponents remain concerned that combining major entertainment businesses could reduce competition and give the new company greater control over Hollywood production and distribution.

The battle now moves beyond Hollywood and into the legal and regulatory arena, where state attorneys general are challenging the transaction. For supporters, the merger represents a path toward a stronger and more competitive media company. For critics such as Ruffalo, it represents dangerous consolidation of money, jobs and creative power.