Report: Disney Is Not Planning on Rehiring James Gunn

Bad news, Marvel Studios fans: it looks like even with the outpouring of support from the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, Disney will not be rehiring James Gunn following his dismissal.

The reasoning for Gunn’s firing stems from a series of tweets from several years ago that do not paint the filmmaker in the best of lights. However, he’d apologized for the majority of the worst ones shortly after posting them originally, as well as following his ousting from Disney’s fold.

Variety says that Walt Disney Studios is, at present, NOT planning on rehiring Gunn. They say “according to multiple people familiar with the studio’s current thinking”, and continue to say the tweet-jokes in question are “unacceptable in the #MeToo era and are not in line with Disney’s family-friendly image”.

Gunn’s tweets were in very poor taste all things considered, but knowing the tone of the director’s humor during that time vs. who he is now is partially what prompted the GotG cast to band together and release a letter urging Disney to rehire Gunn. People can grow up, learn from previous mistakes, and do better.

The widespread belief that Disney did not perhaps do their due diligence when looking into Gunn’s past can be dismissed easily — you really think the biggest media company in the world didn’t know who they were hiring? If you compare the tweets from nearly a decade ago to his more recent messages of compassion and (albeit political) transparency, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same person — on paper, anyway.

There is, of course, more to the story of Gunn’s firing from the side of rather outspoken alt-right blogger Mike Cernovich, who took “credit” for the tweets resurfacing and leading the charge to get Gunn removed from Disney. In the past year, followers of Gunn have no doubt noticed the directional shift from lighthearted humor to deep delves into the state of American politics, which could possibly serve as reason for Cernovich to take umbrage with the filmmaker.

All of this happening during Disney’s (now approved) bid to purchase 20th Century Fox Studios holdings seems rather convenient and can possibly point to the direction the corporation will be leaning once the deal is done.

We will, of course, let you know as soon as Disney, Marvel Studios, or James Gunn responds to this decision.