The fallout from ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! continues to ripple across Hollywood, with actors tied to Disney, Marvel, and ABC joining the chorus of support for the late-night host.
Pedro Pascal, who recently headlined Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, posted his backing on Instagram, sharing a photo with Kimmel alongside the caption: “Standing with you, Jimmy Kimmel Live! Defend free speech. Defend democracy.”
Other Marvel alumni have taken it a step further, calling on fans to boycott Disney platforms. Marisa Tomei, who played Aunt May in the Spider-Man films and appeared in Disney’s Avengers releases, reposted a call urging followers to cancel subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and other Disney-owned services.
Tatiana Maslany, star of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, echoed the message with a behind-the-scenes photo from the Marvel set, telling her audience to “cancel your Disney+, Hulu, ESPN subscriptions.” Mark Ruffalo, known for his portrayal of the Hulk, joined a No Kings online event where he warned that “our freedom of speech is being attacked.”
Their posts land as protests gain momentum on both coasts. Demonstrators gathered outside Kimmel’s Hollywood studio and Disney’s Burbank headquarters this week, chanting for his reinstatement. MoveOn Civic Action is also rolling out a mobile billboard truck across Los Angeles, featuring slogans such as “We’re with Jimmy and free speech” and “Dictators and executives aren’t funny — Jimmy Kimmel is.”
Beyond Marvel, support has come from across the industry. Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) said on Instagram that if Kimmel isn’t reinstated, he “can’t in good conscience work for the company,” making him the first high-profile creator to publicly declare a boycott of Disney projects.
Kerry Washington, who worked with ABC and Hulu on Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere, and Reasonable Doubt, also offered her support online. “You’ve always supported me, my work and my voice for years,” Washington wrote to Kimmel. “Now it’s my turn to stand with and for you.” She called ABC’s move “not just unfair, it’s unjust.”
Meanwhile, comedians across the country are mobilizing. A statement signed by Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, W. Kamau Bell and hundreds more declared: “It’s a dark time for comedians, and by extension, for all Americans. When the government targets one of us, they target us all.”
Handler, who was scheduled to appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, used TikTok to highlight what she sees as a double standard. Pointing to Fox News host Brian Kilmeade’s recent “just kill ’em” remark about the homeless, she noted that he remains on the air. “We’ve never had the government or government agencies like the FCC leading the charge to silence people before,” she said. “Not since McCarthyism.”
ABC pulled Kimmel’s show indefinitely after Trump-appointed FCC chairman Brendan Carr criticized the host for remarks linking the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk to Trump’s MAGA movement. Nexstar Media Group, which operates numerous ABC affiliates, followed with its own announcement that it would stop airing the show.
The combined outcry — from Marvel stars, comedians, creators, and unions — signals that what began as one late-night controversy has escalated into a larger fight over free speech, corporate responsibility, and the political pressures facing Hollywood.
REELated:
Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah Valley University event
