Mark Ruffalo Responds After James Cameron Calls Out Netflix/Warner Bros. Deal: ‘The Next Question To Mr. Cameron Should Be …’

Months after Netflix’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery was announced, many within Hollywood are continuing to discuss the potential impact it could have. Opinions have varied in regard to the merits of the agreement, and some individuals haven’t held back when sharing their thoughts. Filmmaker James Cameron has since weighed in, and he didn’t hold back when dropping his take. Since then, actor Mark Ruffalo has responded to Cameron’s comments, and he did so by posing a question of his own.

Cameron recently wrote a letter to Utah Senator Mike Lee, who leads the U.S. Senate’s subcommittee on antitrust and is analyzing the WB/Netflix deal. In his letter, Cameron asserted that the proposed deal would “be disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business”. A big concern for Cameron is the prospect of the streamer shortening the theatrical window for Warner Bros. films. The Avatar helmer claimed the streamer wanted to decrease the window to 17 days (which is a claim Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos denies).

The Titanic director’s comments eventually went viral, and Ruffalo was among those to see them. When responding to Cameron’s sentiments on X, Ruffalo expressed curiosity about the filmmaker’s thoughts on another aspect of this ongoing business situation:

What the Marvel actor is alluding to is the fact that Paramount Skydance has also been vying to acquire Warner Bros., even in the aftermath of the company’s leaders accepting Netflix’s almost $83 billion bid. The last couple of years have seen Paramount go through immense changes, specifically in terms of the Skydance merger that was completed in 2025. When it comes to this particular matter, Ruffalo appears to be questioning whether Cameron would give the same energy if Paramount were in the position to own WB.

Even ahead of the attempts from Paramount Skydance’s big brass to acquire WB, the media conglomerate was already making headlines. The David Ellison-led company has been implementing changes to its approach to content, including that of CBS News. Some analysts have argued that some of those changes reflect politically right-leaning ideologies and, with that, there’s been speculation about what that could mean for WB if Paramount acquired it.

As far as reactions to the Netflix/WB deal go, a few other filmmakers have chimed in as James Cameron has. Directors Guild of America President Christopher Nolan discussed what a “huge blow” it would be for a major studio to get folded into another. Anora director Sean Baker also spoke out about the agreement and declared that filmmakers should be seeking increased theatrical release windows.

Netflix’s Ted Sarandos has sought to set the record straight on his company’s intentions, as he’s stressed that a 45-day window would be in effect should WB be brought into the fold. When responding to Cameron’s letter with one of his own, Sarandos also claimed he and Cameron were on the same page when the latter met with his company in December. At the same time, Netflix execs have chastised Paramount’s attempts (which include a hostile takeover) to acquire WB. In January, Paramount also filed a lawsuit in an attempt to get Netflix to share financial information regarding its reason for wanting to buy Warner Bros.

Time will tell how all of this ultimately pans out for Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and Paramount Skydance as time goes on. All the while, it can only be speculated as to whether James Cameron will offer a direct response to Mark Ruffalo’s inquiry.