Celebrities Speak Out Against James Gunn Firing From ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

After James Gunn‘s stunning firing on Friday afternoon, celebrities who worked with the Guardians of the Galaxy director and others who know him defended him on social media.

Disney fired Gunn after offensive tweets from 2009 to 2011 resurfaced on Twitter.

“The offensive attitudes and statements on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.

Gunn apologized for offensive comments in 2012, after he was hired to direct Guardians for Marvel and Disney, based on the success of his raunchy superhero movie Super. He also apologized on Friday, before he was fired and issued another statement afterwards, supporting Disney’s decision to cut ties with him.

“Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then,” Gunn wrote. “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.”

Gunn was expected to direct a third Guardians movie and was going to make a project at Sony. He was expected to announce the project during Sony’s panel Friday, but he cancelled his appearance.

Amid the controversy, celebrities took to Twitter and other social networks to defend Gunn, including Guardians star Dave Bautista, who issued a strong statement supporting his friend. Scroll on for a look at the reaction to the news.

Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista, who starred in the two Guardians movies and Avengers: Infinity War as Drax the Destroyer, was not happy with the firing.

“I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this..@JamesGunn is one of the most loving,caring,good natured people I have ever met. He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes. We all have. Im NOT ok with what’s happening to him,” he wrote.

David Destmalchian

Character actor David Destmalchian posted a picture of himself with Gunn to show his support on Instagram. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed also appeared in the photo.

“I’ve been saying this FOR YEARS! @jamesgunn is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known – both professionally & personally,” he wrote. “There are so many people in our lives that we would never have known without the incredible magnet of talent & goodness that is James (& his awesome partner in life, @jenniferlholland). Thanks for making us a part of your family, buddy.”

Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black forcefully responded after Mike Cernovich, the conservative conspiracy theorist who dug up Gunn’s controversial comments, also dug up some of Black’s own controversial jokes. Black pointed out that Cernovich was accused of rape in 2003. 

Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt responded to the controversy by retweeting a photo of Cernovich’s controversial tweets.

“This is one of the LESS disgusting tweets from Mike Cernovich, the dude who, after running a Gamergate-style smear campaign, just got James Gunn fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Okay have a good weekend,” Oswalt wrote.

Fede Alvarez

“Can’t believe what Disney is doing to @JamesGunn This nonsense culture of zero tolerance has to stop,” Fede Alvarez wrote.

Justin Toiland

“This is insane to me. Is this real?! Jesus. Well there goes that R rated jar jar binks movie I’ve been working on. I QUIT, DISNEY,” Justin Toiland added.

Joe Carnahan

Filmmaker Joe Carnahan tweeted link to a Change.org petition to get Disney to re-hire Gunn.

In another tweet, Carnahan wrote, “Cernovich is a cheap provocateur determined to wreck the careers of better men. @JamesGunn was targeted because he is an outspoken critic of @realDonaldTrump’s criminal bullshit & amorality. James doesn’t deserve this. He should be brought back immediately. #RehireJamesGunn.”

Michael Rooker

Actor Michael Rooker responded to a fan who asked him what he thought about the situation. “James Gunn knows. That’s all that matters,” he wrote.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais made a veiled reference to the situation.

“Joking about bad things isn’t the same as doing bad things. The joke may not even be condoning bad things. It could be damming them. It depends on the actually joke. The subject of a joke and the target of a joke can be different. Being offended doesn’t prove the joke is wrong,” the former Office star wrote.

Rhett Miller

“I’ve known @jamesgunn for a long time and I guarantee that these old tweets were JUST JOKES. You can argue they were bad jokes, or pointless or tasteless or whatever, but they were JUST JOKES. His firing is 100% about his outspoken political beliefs. This is a scary time, y’all,” Rhett Miller wrote.