Ruffalo Warns Senate of 'Devastating' Effects From Paramount-Warner Merger

Actor and producer testifies on potential job losses and threats to free press if $111 billion deal goes through

Apr. 15, 2026 at 8:22pm

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An abstract composition of sharp, angular black shapes and negative space, conceptually representing the tension between corporate power and creative expression in the entertainment industry.As media giants seek to merge, concerns grow over the potential impact on jobs, content diversity, and the future of independent journalism.Los Angeles Today

Actor Mark Ruffalo warned a Senate subcommittee that the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery would have 'devastating' effects on the film, TV, and media industries. Ruffalo, who is among the signatories of an open letter seeking to block the deal, testified that the merger threatens jobs, free press, and democracy itself.

Why it matters

The merger would create a media behemoth controlling major studios, networks, and streaming services, raising concerns about reduced competition, content cuts, and corporate influence over news coverage.

The details

Ruffalo cited claims by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison that the combined company will release 30 films per year and give artists 'more avenues' of work, but Ruffalo said 'Don't trust empty promises from billionaires driven by greed and corrosive ideology.' He warned that 'tens of thousands' of media jobs will be at risk as the company tries to 'squeeze every penny' from the merger's massive debt.

  • The Paramount-Skydance merger in August 2025 resulted in 2,000 layoffs.
  • Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 'The sooner David Ellison takes over [CNN], the better.'

The players

Mark Ruffalo

An actor and producer who is among the 2,000-plus Hollywood signatories of an open letter seeking to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.

David Ellison

The CEO of Paramount Skydance, which is seeking to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111 billion deal.

Cory Booker

The ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, who called the hearing on the proposed merger.

Pete Hegseth

The U.S. Defense Secretary who said 'The sooner David Ellison takes over [CNN], the better.'

Michael Isaac

The director of legal services at the Writers Guild of America East, which represents 18,000 creative professionals.

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What they’re saying

“We do not have to watch 'Citizen Kane' or read '1984' to understand that the concentrated oligarchic control this merger represents is a threat to free press, an informed populace and democracy itself.”

— Mark Ruffalo, Actor and producer

“Don't trust empty promises from billionaires driven by greed and corrosive ideology. Don't trust that somehow this new company will somehow make more films with less money and so much more debt.”

— Mark Ruffalo, Actor and producer

“The merger threatens more than our livelihoods. It threatens one of the world's most vital industries.”

— Mark Ruffalo, Actor and producer

“If Warner merges with Paramount, that combined company would immediately become the largest employer of our members — a media behemoth with tremendous leverage to reduce content, raise prices, increase control of production, suppress competition, worsen working conditions and silence the voices of our members.”

— Michael Isaac, Director of legal services, Writers Guild of America East

“At the same time, Paramount is poised to dominate the news business, by controlling both CBS News and CNN. The outcome is not hard to predict because we have already seen the transformation of CBS News in the wake of its merger with Skydance. Under the new leadership, CBS imposed mass layoffs and, we believe, sought to appease bad-faith and partisan critics instead of standing by its journalists that built its reputation.”

— Michael Isaac, Director of legal services, Writers Guild of America East

What’s next

The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery still requires regulatory and WBD shareholder approval.

The takeaway

This high-stakes merger battle highlights the growing concentration of power in the media industry and the potential threats to creative freedom, journalistic independence, and the livelihoods of thousands of entertainment professionals.