On Sept 17, ABC left audiences speechless when it announced its decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from its lineup “indefinitely” for comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel in a monologue on the show. In the monologue, Kimmel remarked that, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Following his comments, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr took aim at the late-night host and targeted ABC claiming in an interview with YouTuber Benny Johnson, “it’s past time these [affiliates] themselves push back and say, ‘Listen, we’re not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out because we’re running the possibility of license revocation from the FCC if we continue to run content that ends up being a pattern of news distortion.’ So I think again, Disney needs to see some change here.”
Shortly after the remarks from the FCC Chair, Nexstar announced it would be pre-empting Jimmy Kimmel Live which led Disney to make the decision to pull the show entirely for the time being.
The move has quickly drawn criticism from a myriad of supporters including politicians, unions such as the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild, and Hollywood A-listers.
She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany calls on Marvel fans to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions in wake of Jimmy Kimmel Live controversy
Among those who have spoken out about Disney’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from its schedule is Marvel actress Tatiana Maslany. In a post shared on her Instagram Story, Maslany called upon fans to unsubscribe from Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN and cancel their active subscriptions in a show of support to Kimmel.
She did so with help from a behind-the-scenes photo from her time filming She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, writing “Cancel your Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions,” in a caption shared over the photo.
It’s a statement that is garnering both criticism and praise, though that’s far from surprising, as it seems Marvel fans are incapable of being anything but divided when it comes to Maslany and her role within the MCU. She-Hulk was a victim of review-bombing from certain sectors of the MCU fandom who negatively reviewed the show before ever seeing it and singled Maslany out with misogynistic comments.
Through it all, Disney wasn’t exactly the most supportive and could have learned something from The Summer I Turned Pretty marketing team, who publicly warned fans against bullying and berating the cast of its show. As her future with Marvel remains uncertain, it’s honestly not surprising that Maslany is speaking out and calling for the cancellation of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions in protest of Disney’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Marvel stars speak out in support of Jimmy Kimmel Live
While Maslany’s call for Marvel fans to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions is making headlines, she’s not the only Marvel star speaking out in support of Jimmy Kimmel. Some of Marvel’s biggest names have already released statements in support of Kimmel and spoken out against Disney’s decision to pull his late-night show from the lineup.
Marisa Tomei, who played Aunt May in Marvel's Tom Holland Spider-Man films, echoed Maslany's sentiment. While Tomei did not share a direct call to action via a statement, she did share a graphic urging for the boycott of Disney brands:
Maslany's She-Hulk costar shared her support on Instagram writing, "If you care about freedom of speech. Don't let this one slide, or you will be next."
Fantastic Four star Pedro Pascal shared a photo from a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, announcing he was "standing" with Kimmel and calling upon followers to "defend free speech."
"Protect free speech. Jimmy Kimmel, thank you for your sound comedic wisdom. It will be missed and needed, now more than ever," wrote Guardians of the Galaxy actress Zoe Saldana. The sentiment was shared by her Guardians co-star Dave Bautista, who shared a post condemning what has happened to Kimmel.
Thunderbolts star Julia Louis-Dreyfus made it clear she stands with Kimmel and shamed ABC in an Instagram post writing, "I stand with Jimmy Kimmel Live. I stand for Free Speech. I stand for Democracy. SHAME SHAME SHAME ABC."
Additionally, many Marvel actors have shared messages of support indirectly in sharing statements from SAG AFTRA and other outlets speaking out about ABC's actions against Kimmel.