Mark Ruffalo is intensifying his public push against a potential settlement involving Paramount and the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, directly urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta not to approve what the actor described as a “lousy deal filled with empty promises.”
As attorneys general meet with Paramount this weekend over a possible deal tied to the merger, Ruffalo used X on Saturday to call on Bonta and other state attorneys general to reject the agreement currently under discussion with the Ellison-run Paramount. The talks come ahead of a scheduled March 2, 2027 federal antitrust trial.
“Don’t you dare @AGRobBonta, do not cave,” Ruffalo wrote on X. “5670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks. You work for the people — the very people who will be hurt if you let this lousy deal filled with empty promises go forward.”
Ruffalo, a four-time Oscar nominee, also amplified Block the Merger’s petition aimed at stopping the settlement, asking followers to add their names and send a message to both the attorneys general and Paramount.
“Please sign to send a message to the AGs and Paramount,” he wrote. “Reject the deal. The people don’t want it!”
Ruffalo Calls For Oakland Protest
The actor then escalated his appeal, addressing supporters in the Bay Area and suggesting an in-person demonstration outside Bonta’s office in Oakland.
“To my friends in the Bay Area: I’m hearing Rob Bonta is about to cave and hand Warner Bros over to the Ellisons,” Ruffalo wrote in a separate post on X. “We can’t let him do that. Can you show up outside his AG office in Oakland tomorrow at 5pm to reject this backroom deal? Reject the deal. The people don’t want it!”
Ruffalo’s wording framed the situation as urgent, though his claim that Bonta “is about to cave” was presented by him as something he was “hearing.” The source material does not confirm that Bonta has agreed to any deal.
The weekend pressure campaign follows a previous statement from Block the Merger, which has had support from Ruffalo as well as Bryan Cranston, Hannah Einbinder, Jane Fonda, Noah Wyle, Denis Villeneuve, Sofia Coppola and others.
In that statement, the group said, “Thousands of industry leaders took a risk when they spoke out publicly about the harm the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would cause.” The group also claimed that more than 75,000 people had joined the effort to urge state attorneys general to stand firm, including national leaders such as Elizabeth Warren.
“We know a bad deal when we see one,” the statement continued. “AG Bonta and his fellow state AGs should reject this deal, stand strong, and fully block the merger with no concessions.”
Settlement Talks Under Scrutiny
The renewed criticism comes as leaks about talks between the attorneys general and Paramount circulated in the media late Friday. The discussions are being closely watched because they could affect the path of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger before the scheduled federal antitrust trial in March 2027.
Bonta’s office did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment as those reports surfaced.
For Ruffalo and the Block the Merger campaign, the central demand remains unchanged: no settlement concessions and no approval of the merger. With attorneys general meeting with Paramount this weekend, Ruffalo’s latest posts are aimed at turning online opposition into immediate public pressure, including a proposed Oakland turnout at Bonta’s office.