Mark Ruffalo: Canceling Jimmy Kimmel Could Send Disney Stock Tumbling
Mark Ruffalo is speaking out after ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air, warning that Disney could face serious consequences.
On Threads, the longtime Marvel actor shared a report claiming Disney’s stock dropped 7 percent after the suspension. He added, “It’s going to go down a lot further if they cancel his show. Disney does not want to be the ones that broke America.”
The numbers Ruffalo cited were off. In reality, Disney’s shares fell about 1 percent on September 18 and another 0.95 percent the following day.
While some posts claimed Disney lost $3.87 billion overnight, the actual picture is more complicated. Financial reports show a roughly 0.67 percent drop after the announcement, and analysts say market values for companies as big as Disney often fluctuate by billions in a single session.
Experts also note it’s misleading to blame the decline entirely on Kimmel’s suspension since other market factors are at play.
Despite the stock numbers, Ruffalo has focused on the larger issue of free speech. Speaking on a video call for the activist group No Kings, he criticized the Trump administration and called the suspension an attack on media freedom.
“We saw Jimmy Kimmel’s show was canceled. We don’t know what the reasons are really, it’s very cloudy and murky,” he said. “I don’t understand what’s happening right now. My industry doesn’t understand what’s happening right now. But what they do understand is our freedom of speech is being attacked.”
Ruffalo: We saw Jimmy Kimmel's show was cancelled. We don't know what the reasons are really…My industry doesn't understand what's happening right now — but what they do understand is our freedom of speech is being attacked. pic.twitter.com/5Y96CIxa7y
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 19, 2025
He added, “This cancellation is the United States government coming and taking your voice away from you. It is the United States government that is now suppressing the freedom of speech.” Ruffalo also warned that authoritarian regimes gradually limit freedoms, leaving people living “the smallest, the most frightened, the most secretive lives.”
The controversy started after Kimmel’s September monologue addressed MAGA supporters’ reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized them for trying “to paint the suspect as anything other than one of them” and joked about Trump’s response, saying he was “at the fourth stage of grief: construction.”
Trump ally and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s remarks and warned the network might face consequences unless the show was addressed.
Shortly after, Nexstar, which owns many ABC affiliates, pulled the program. Nexstar is also seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion media deal, which added pressure to the situation. ABC confirmed the suspension, reportedly following Disney executives’ direction.
The move has sparked a heated debate over free speech, political pressure, and media independence. Ruffalo’s comments underline the growing tension between politics and media in the U.S., with some seeing the suspension as necessary and others viewing it as a threat to freedom of expression.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!