Mark Ruffalo Is Calling on Bay Area Residents to Protest Outside California AG's Office Over Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Deal

The Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger fight just got louder. On Saturday, actor Mark Ruffalo took to X with a series of posts urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta not to accept a proposed settlement deal that would allow the merger to move forward — and called on Bay Area residents to show up outside Bonta's Oakland office the following day at 5pm.

"Don't you dare @AGRobBonta, do not cave," Ruffalo wrote. "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."

The posts came after leaks flooded the media late Friday about ongoing talks between state attorneys general and Paramount over a potential deal ahead of a federal antitrust trial currently scheduled for March 2, 2027. Ruffalo was clear that his information was secondhand — "I'm hearing Rob Bonta is about to cave," he wrote — but that didn't stop him from mobilizing publicly.

AG Bonta's office did not respond to Deadline's request for comment.

Ruffalo also shared Block the Merger's petition, which has now collected more than 75,000 signatures in roughly three weeks. The coalition counts 5,670 filmmakers among its public signatories and has drawn support from names including Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Hannah Einbinder, Noah Wyle, Denis Villeneuve, and Sofia Coppola. Senator Elizabeth Warren has also joined the opposition as a national leader.

Block the Merger released its own statement pushing back on the settlement talks. "Thousands of industry leaders took a risk when they spoke out publicly about the harm the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would cause," the group wrote. "We know a bad deal when we see one. AG Bonta and his fellow state AGs should reject this deal, stand strong, and fully block the merger with no concessions."

The specific terms of the proposed settlement haven't been publicly detailed. What's being characterized as a "backroom deal" by Ruffalo and Block the Merger remains vague, and whether Bonta ultimately accepts or rejects it is still unconfirmed. The antitrust trial in March 2027 remains the next hard deadline if negotiations fall apart.

Whether the Sunday protest Ruffalo called for materialized is not yet confirmed.

[Original Source](https://deadline.com/2026/09/mark-ruffalo-urges-ag-bonta-do-not-cave-paramount-deal-1237108548/)