Former 'Daredevil' Showrunner Comments on James Gunn Being Fired From 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

The show business community is still processing Disney firing James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for offensive tweets made years ago, and that includes Steven S. DeKnight, the former showrunner on Marvel's Daredevil on Netflix and director of Pacific Rim: Uprising.

DeKnight commented on Gunn's removal from the Marvel Studios project, at first saying that his activities at San Diego Comic-Con had kept him from keeping up with the details, but that he was saddened to hear the news.

"Been traveling all day back and forth to SDCC. Not completely caught up, but deeply saddened on all fronts. All I have for now," DeKnight tweeted.

DeKnight later replied to a statement made by Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista, tweeting, "This has also been my experience with James Gunn. Everything I've witnessed personally points towards one of the genuinely nicest guys I've ever meet. His response taking full responsibility for what he said instead of throwing doubt, excuses, or Ambien speaks volumes. There are those who know James infinitely better than I do. I personally look forward to any insight they can provide, regardless of their position."

DeKnight also clarified that he is not trying to defend what Gunn Tweeted. "I in no way am defending what he said in the past (nor is he)," DeKnight wrote. "I can only speak personally towards the man I've met in the present."

Finally, amidst fears of a Gunn's firing leading to a chilling effect on freedom of speech in Hollywood, DeKnight took a stance, saying he will not be silenced by those like the alt-right media personality who brought Gunn's old tweets to the fore.

"You know, several people have said similar things to me in the past 24 hours. This is exactly what people like Cernovich want. To scare people like me into silence. Not going to happen," DeKnight stated. "These are extraordinary times in which the ideals of America very much feel like they're teetering on the edge of an authoritarian abyss. I'd rather risk my livelihood fighting against that than stay silent and risk losing the very soul of democracy."

Gunn's tweets were made before Disney hired him to direct the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and, though Gunn apologized for those tweets tat the time he was hired, this renewed round of public attention spurred Disney to sever ties with the director.

"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," Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn wrote in a statement.

It is still unclear how Gunn's firing will affect the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was expected to begin filming in early 2019.