After facing massive backlash for offensive comments he posted on Twitter earlier in his career, Disney has cut ties with James Gunn and his involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Gunn is arguably the most active MCU filmmaker on social media, weighing in on topics ranging from mundane daily activities to Guardians of the Galaxy Easter eggs to politics. After sharing negative comments about Donald Trump, conservative bloggers tracked down old tweets from the filmmaker in which he made jokes about rape and pedophilia dating back to 2009.
In a series of messages on Twitter, Gunn attempted to apologize for the remarks, closing with, “I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all.”
These remarks weren’t quite good enough, resulting in Disney’s official statement, “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.”
See what the internet is saying about the shocking move by Disney.
Gut-Wrenching
James Gunn being so unceremoniously dropped from the MCU is gut-wrenching and totally spineless of Disney. Taste in comedy and offence vs intent is a whole other thing, but regardless, to receive such severe punishment now despite the fact it was 10 years ago is just cruel
— Eddie Bowley (@Eddache_) July 20, 2018
Disappointed
Why is James Gunn trending?
— TrivWorks (@TrivWorks) July 20, 2018
*clicks link* pic.twitter.com/y5XzU1Tsof
Confusing Protocol
So…is Disney’s bad-tweets policy “The past is past, just don’t do it again” or “The past is past unless enough people bring it up”? Because it’s very hard to identify any consistency in the way it handled James Gunn vs. the way it handled Roseanne.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) July 20, 2018
Double Standard
James Gunn’s tweets were deplorable but if Disney are gonna fire him for horrible things he said ten years ago, are they gonna fire Robert Downey Jr. for all the shit he did back in the day?
— Thomas Broome-Jones (@TBroomey) July 20, 2018
Two Things
1) James Gunn’s tweets were gross, and he should have deleted them
— Blind Spottington (@alcohollywood) July 20, 2018
2) it’s rich that the people who dragged them back up aren’t actually bothered by his remarks in the first place, but just wanted to weaponize the outrage of those who would be
Both of these things can be true.
No Passes
I understand that the right and MAGA bros had a huge part in attacking Gunn last night.
— ?Mary? (@sapphicgeek) July 20, 2018
But that doesn’t mean shit. James Gunn “joked” about pedophillia, “corrective sex” for lesbians, and rape.
He doesn’t get a pass for attacking Trump or being liberal.
Future Pirates
“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James Gunn’s Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him. Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean 6, coming soon!”
— Jason Funderburker (@filbrickpines) July 20, 2018
– The Walt Disney Company
Hypocrisy
The absolute hypocrisy. Donald Trump can brag about grabbing women by the pussy, but it gets excused because “it happened years ago” and he still gets to be president, but James Gunn made horrible tweets 10+ years ago (which he has owned and apologized for) and loses his job.
— protect michelle jones 2k18 (@afantasticdream) July 20, 2018
Hard to Change
“Don’t cancel James Gunn over this, those tweets are old, he could have changed!!!”
— Carl Taylor’s White Voice (@Soderberghian) July 20, 2018
First off, there were MANY tweets where he said questionable rape/pedophilia relating things. It wasn’t an isolated incident.
SECOND, you dont change much from age 40 to 50.
Bring Back Nicole Perlman
i see people saying that taika waititi should replace james gunn as director of gotg vol 3 and i completely agree, but let’s take it even further and hire back nicole perlman, a woman who put years of research and writing into gotg vol 1 and got almost no credit for it pic.twitter.com/SdsEimGUNg
— emma (@spideytom) July 20, 2018
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