Avengers Star Mark Ruffalo Suggests Alternative to Studio System Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike

Avengers star Mark Ruffalo says actors should “jump into indies” to create more competition in Hollywood.

According to Deadline, SAG-AFTRA will offer waivers in the form of an ‘Interim Agreement’ to “truly independent” productions during the ongoing actors’ strike, and Ruffalo believe this offers actors a unique opportunity.

“How about we all jump into indies now?” he said on Twitter. “Content creators create a film and TV-making system alongside the studio and streaming networks? So, there is actual competition.”

How about we all jump into indies now? Content creators create a film & TV-making system alongside the studio & streaming networks? So there is actual competition. ?https://t.co/NhxqlwWUsZ

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) July 15, 2023

The ‘Interim Agreement’ lets independent productions continue despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which stops all guild members from undertaking any kind of production activity. According to the SAG-AFTRA website: “For independently produced content that comes within the scope of a strike order (the above-mentioned contracts), the producer may qualify for an ‘Interim Agreement’ that would allow such productions to continue working during a strike.”

However, Ruffalo sees this as a further opportunity to stick it to the studio system. “We just do what we always do — create great content and they can buy it, or we take it out ourselves and WE share in those sales,” he said. “They’ve created an empire of billionaires and believe that we are no longer of value. While they hang out in the billionaire boy summer camps laughing like fat cats, we organize a new world for workers.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently came under fire for saying the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA writers’ strikes have an expectation that is ‘not realistic’. However, Ruffalo seems to see this as a pivotal moment.

“One sure way to strengthen our hand right now is to become very supportive and friendly to all independent projects immediately,” he said. “Push every SAG-AFTRA member to join the ones that get SAG-AFTRA (WGA) WAIVERS immediately. The studios have no competition — this will change that.

“Share profits. If the project does well, everyone does well. This will also help our fellow filmmakers, ‘The Crew,’ who we love, to keep working. This is also part of Solidarity. We have to take care of each other.”

Want to read more about the ongoing strikes? Check out how the strikes could save streaming as well as the internet’s reaction to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.