Rumors have recently begun to circulate that Mark Ruffalo has been fired from Disney for his political comments. This comes following his appearance at The Golden Globes, where he sported a pin in protest of ICE. Rumors surrounding his situation have taken off, as Disney has a history of punishing actors for political comments. However, rumors surrounding Ruffalo are as of now completely unsubstantiated, and Ruffalo will likely appear in future Marvel projects.
The Golden Globes and Ruffalo
Ruffalo appeared at this year’s Golden Globes sporting a pin on his lapel, which read “Be Good.” When asked the meaning behind the pin, Ruffalo stated that it was in honor of Renee Nicole Goode. Goode was an unarmed civilian in Minneapolis killed by an ICE agent this January. According to The Guardian, Ruffalo stated, “As much as I love all this, I don’t know if I can pretend like this crazy stuff isn’t happening.” Other celebrities joined Ruffalo, such as Ariana Grande and Natasha Lyonne. While Ruffalo was not alone, not every celebrity wore their pin on the red carpet. Ruffalo was notably the only one to speak to reporters about the meaning.
Ruffalo has been a key figure in the Marvel franchise since he began playing The Hulk in 2012. During his time with Disney, Ruffalo has had a history of political activism. With his bio on X, Ruffalo identifies himself as an advocate for climate justice. Ruffalo states he has “an eye out for a better, brighter, cleaner, & more hopeful future for all of us.” Since The Golden Globes, Ruffalo has continued to speak out on X, sharing news stories from sources like The Guardian, calling out the actions of ICE agents.
Disney’s History of Retaliation
These rumors have gained traction partly due to the fact that Disney has a history of firing actors over political comments. One of the most notable instances was in 2021 when Disney fired Gina Carano from The Mandalorian over controversial comments made on social media. Carano, a conservative, compared the treatment of conservatives in America to the victims of the holocaust.
Disney promptly fired Carano from The Mandalorian following these posts. Disney denounced her comments following her removal from the show. After her removal, Carano filed a lawsuit against Disney for wrongful termination and discrimination. Disney settled the suit with Carano, but the details were not made public.
Recently, Disney has also come under fire for suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! this September. This came after Kimmel’s comments on the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. Following Kirk’s assassination, Jimmy Kimmel claimed that conservatives were trying to label Kirk’s shooter as “anything other than one of them.” ABC, which is owned by Disney, quickly suspended Kimmel’s show. Ruffalo himself spoke out against the suspension and claimed on Threads that Disney stock would continue to fall if they cancel Kimmel’s show.
Ruffalo’s Future With Disney
While nothing has confirmed that Ruffalo has been fired, fuel was added to the flames when he announced that he would not appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film back in October. Ruffalo joked with Jimmy Fallon that Disney had decided to get rid of him. While Ruffalo will not appear in the new Avengers movie, he is set to appear as The Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, releasing this July.
Neither Disney nor Ruffalo have made any official statement since The Golden Globes. This means that, for now, these are only rumors, and nothing can be confirmed. As the situation continues to unfold, we will likely hear more from Disney or Ruffalo addressing the rumors. With Ruffalo’s upcoming appearance in Spider-Man, and his continued activism across social media, it appears that he has not been deterred from spreading his message.
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