Earlier this week, the United States Justice Department approved the merger between Paramount/Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery. With the former defeating Netflix in acquiring the studio that houses the likes of the DC Universe, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Looney Tunes, the entertainment world is going to go through some big changes in the future. Not every creator is thrilled to see that this merger between Paramount and Warner Bros is one step closer to taking place, with the creator of Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch, sharing his unfiltered thoughts on the union of the two studios.

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Responding to the news released by Variety, Alex Hirsch shared the following scathing statement: “The anti-monopoly department, owned by President Monopoly, has approved the monopoly.” While the merger between the studios has been approved by the U.S. government, there are still some big hurdles that Paramount and Warner Bros will need to leap over to make the union a reality. Specifically, the European Union Commission has yet to approve the merger, and the studios might need to make some major concessions to move forward. In a recent report, Paramount might need to jettison some of its animated and children’s properties, such as Nickelodeon, to satisfy the E.U.

“The anti-monopoly department, owned by President Monopoly, has approved the monopoly” — Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) June 13, 2026

Gravity Falls’ Future

Image courtesy of Disney Television Animation

Gravity Falls came to an end after two riveting seasons in 2016, delivering a second-season finale that saw Mabel and Dipper leave the Mystery Shack behind. Despite having ended over a decade ago, the series has remained a fan-favorite amongst animation enthusiasts to this day. Various characters from the series, like Grunkle Stan, have returned thanks to crossover series like Disney’s Chibiverse, though there have been rumblings that the show could one day return.

While many of the main characters left the Mystery Shack following the final fight against Bill Cipher, there is an easy enough way to bring everyone back for another supernatural summer. In 2024, the Executive Vice President of Television Animation and Disney Branded Television, Meredith Roberts, hinted at discussions with Hirsch about bringing back the series, “You know, we’re in conversations with Alex. He’s about to publish a book with Disney on his project. And we also do some shorts. So never say never.”

While no further details have been revealed regarding this potential comeback, Gravity Falls is set to make a splash this fall. The Art of Gravity Falls will hit retailers this fall on September 15th, promising to give fans a closer look at the origins of the series and countless behind-the-scenes looks. The breakdown for the first art book of the animated series reads, “Take a road trip… back to where it all started. For years, the true origins of Gravity Falls have been hidden under lock and key. Now, for the first time ever, series creator Alex Hirsch and cowriter Rob Renzetti crack open the vault to reveal the definitive visual history of Gravity Falls. Inside The Art of Gravity Falls, you’ll find never-before-revealed development art from Alex Hirsch’s personal archives, including first inklings of the characters and world, lost episode ideas, cut jokes, deviously hidden easter eggs, every single one of Mabel’s sweaters, and much, much more!”

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