Guardians director fired over old offensive tweets

THE man behind Guardians of the Galaxy was fired by Disney after disturbing jokes he had made in the past resurfaced.

WALT Disney Studios has cut ties with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn after a series of his twisted old tweets resurfaced this week.

“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn told the New York Post in a statement on Friday.

James Gunn attends the UK Premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy. Picture: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Disney owns Marvel, the producers of the Guardians of the Galaxy flicks.

In one of his many now deleted tweets, written between 2008 to 2011, Gunn said: “I’m doing a big Hollywood film adaptation of The Giving Tree with a happy ending — the tree grows back and gives the kid a blow job.”

Here is how to contact @Disney about these disturbing tweets by one of its filmmakers. https://t.co/TXb5eOoV7P pic.twitter.com/ySfcz5yc8B

— Mike Cernovich 🇺🇸 (@Cernovich) July 20, 2018

In another, he wrote, “The Expendables was so manly I f**ked the s**t out of the little pussy boy next to me! The boys ARE back in town!”

Gunn, an outspoken critic of President Trump, came under fire this week from conservative activists who circulated the years-old, off-colour tweets.

2. It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

The director issued a mea culpa in a series of tweets on Thursday night and in a statement to Variety.

“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative,” Gunn said.

“I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.”

4. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

The Guardians of the Galaxy director said he would “accept the business decision made today” and take “full responsibility” for his past tweets.

“All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse,” Gunn said.

“To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”

Gunn had been working on the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was expected to be released in 2020.

This story first appeared on the New York Post and has been republished here with permission.