Sean Gunn, James Gunn‘s younger brother and a Guardians of the Galaxy actor, issued a long statement on Twitter to defend the director after he was fired Friday afternoon due to old offensive tweets.
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“I hope it goes without saying that I love and support my brother James. And I’m quite proud of how kind, generous, and compassionate he is with the people in his life, whether they are friends, family, colleagues, fans, or strangers,” Gunn wrote. “Since he was a kid, it was clear he had a desire (maybe destiny) to be an artist, tell stories, find his voice through comics, films, his band. The struggle to find that voice was sometimes clunky, misguided, or downright stupid, and sometimes wonderful, moving, and hilarious.”
1. I hope it goes without saying that I love and support my brother James. And I’m quite proud of how kind, generous, and compassionate he is with the people in his life, whether they are friends, family, colleagues, fans, or strangers.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
Gunn, who plays Kraglin in the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies and appeared in his brother’s breakout 2010 film Super, said he has seen his brother “transform from the guy who made up things to shock people” to someone who realized his “edge” was not “as useful a tool as he thought it was.”
2. Since he was a kid, it was clear he had a desire (maybe destiny) to be an artist, tell stories, find his voice through comics, films, his band. The struggle to find that voice was sometimes clunky, misguided, or downright stupid, and sometimes wonderful, moving, and hilarious.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
“In many respects this change in my brother was reflected in the change that the Guardians go through. I’ve heard my brother say many times that when Quill rallies the team with ‘this is our chance to give a s–’–to care–that it’s the pep talk he himself needed to hear,” the Gilmore Girls actor continued.
3. Since devoting his entire life to the Guardians movies and MCU six years ago, I’ve seen him channel that voice into his work on those movies and seen him transform from the guy who made up things to shock people.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
“It’s part of what made working on the Guardians movies such a rewarding experience for the cast, myself included. We managed to find ourselves involved in a big-budget superhero movie that was, at its core, deeply personal. That’s a gift. And that’s why it’s good.”
4. I saw firsthand as he went from worrying about “softening his edge” for a larger audience to realizing that his “edge” wasn’t as useful of a tool as he thought it was. That his gift for storytelling was something better.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
Gunn also reminded fans that the tweets are not new. James Gunn did apologize for other offensive jokes in 2012, after news broke that he would be making Guardians for Disney.
6. In many respects this change in my brother was reflected in the change that the Guardians go through. I’ve heard my brother say many times that when Quill rallies the team with “this is our chance to give a shit”–to care–that it’s the pep talk he himself needed to hear.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
“So I guess my hope is that fans continue to watch and appreciate the Guardians movies, not despite the fact that the filmmaker used to be kind of a jacka–, but because of it. They are, after all, movies about discovering your best self,” Gunn wrote. “Working on those movies made my brother a better person, and they made me one too. I’m proud of that. Peace.”
8. This isn’t new information, by the way. It’s all stuff that James has explained many times in interviews, in more detail and more eloquently. It’s not some new spin. It’s always been part of the story.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
James Gunn was fired on Friday afternoon, after conservative Twitter users dug up old Tweets from 2009 to 2011, in which Gunn made offensive jokes about pedophilia and rape. Gunn posted a long apology before he was fired, and issued another statement after Disney cut ties with him.
“Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then,” James Gunn wrote Friday night. “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. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”
10. Working on those movies made my brother a better person, and they made me one too. I’m proud of that. Peace.
— Sean Gunn (@seangunn) July 21, 2018
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 was expected to hit theaters in 2020, but Disney has not said if the film will be delayed. Marvel Studios did not have a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018.
Outside the Guardians movies, Gunn is known for his role as Kirk Gleason on Gilmore Girls, a role he reprised for the Netflix revival Golden Girls: A Year in the Life. He also appeared in episodes of Bunheads, Bones and Glee. Although Kraglin did not appear in Avengers: Infinity War, Gunn reprised his other MCU role – playing Rocket Raccoon’s on-set stand-in.
Photo credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
