ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel over his pointed remarks about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves through late-night television. But the story isn’t staying confined to late-night. A group of actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars franchises have signed a letter protesting ABC’s decision, and their involvement could put Disney in a difficult position.
The network may have ended Kimmel's suspension on Monday afternoon, but that doesn't mean parent company Disney won't have to deal with the fallout. Many prominent names from politics and entertainment spoke out against ABC's choice to take Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air, leading to the possibility they could sever ties with Disney going forward.
An open letter from the ACLU defending free speech and condemning Kimmel's suspension featured signatures from 400 celebrities. Many of the names on the list had close working relationships with Disney, including involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars.
From the MCU side, signatures include Pedro Pascal (Fantastic Four), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Annette Bening (Captain Marvel), Carrie Coon (Avengers: Infinity War), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Fantastic Four), Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Thunderbolts*), Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along), Katy O’Brian (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals), Lake Bell (What If…?), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers), Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder), Rob Delaney (Deadpool), Patton Oswalt (Eternals), and Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok).
On the Star Wars side, the letter boasts support from Diego Luna (Rogue One, Andor), Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka), Pascal (The Mandalorian), Moss-Bachrach (Andor), O’Brian (The Mandalorian), Nanjiani (Obi-Wan Kenobi), and Portman (Revenge of the Sith). Several names overlap with Marvel, showing just how intertwined the franchises have become under Disney’s ownership.
The show of solidarity puts Disney in a uniquely awkward spot. On one hand, the company has relied on Kimmel’s late-night platform for years as a key venue to promote its films and series. On the other hand, the studio is now facing public pushback from performers who headline billion-dollar franchises. If any of these actors decided to boycott Disney projects out of protest, it could create massive headaches for both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.
For example, Florence Pugh is expected to play a central role in Marvel’s future phases, as is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha All Along became a surprise hit for Disney. Mark Ruffalo is an original Avenger and one of the the longest-tenured MCU actors. And Pedro Pascal is a major part of both the future of MCU and the current stat of Star Wars. Losing talent like this would be more than a casting problem; it would mean delaying or even derailing projects that Disney has staked its streaming and theatrical future on.
So far, Disney has remained silent on the letter, but it eased some tension by reinstating Kimmel on Monday. The studio has carefully cultivated the Marvel and Star Wars fandoms, but it risks alienating both by appearing to punish one of late night’s longest-tenured hosts while ignoring the concerns of its stars. Whether or not the the change in ABC's stance on Kimmel changes the actors' minds remains to be seen. But it’s clear that the fallout has grown far beyond late-night TV.