James Gunn has faced quite highs and lows in his career with 2018 being one of his lowest since he paid a hefty price for his actions. Known for being quite a vocal opposer of Donald Trump, he often called out the former US President on Twitter (now X) back at the time. However, his actions did get a reaction from the latter’s supporters which unraveled the controversial comments he made in the past.
Gunn has a major contribution to Marvel and DC as he directed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for the former studio which quickly became everyone’s favorite. On the other hand, he contributed his efforts to DC’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Here’s how criticizing Trump indirectly led him to go through extreme trouble.
Criticizing Donald Trump Came at a Hefty Price for James Gunn
Back in 2018, James Gunn was quite in the highlights as he often criticized the then-US President, Donald Trump, and the Republican Party on Twitter (now X). However, his actions caught the attention of a few conservative personalities who decided to turn the tables.
They dug up and resurfaced his old and controversial comments which Gunn tweeted several years ago that created an uproar in Hollywood. The tweets seemed to have been posted in the early 2000s and 2011 which contained inappropriate humor, including jokes about r*pe, and p*dophilia, among other sensitive topics.
The tweets quickly spread like wildfire garnering intense criticism from the public. The outrage went so far that many started demanding his removal from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. As a result of the intense backlash, Disney, which owns Marvel Studios released a statement to sever their ties with the filmmaker.
Warner Bros Supported James Gunn Post Marvel-Exit
His past actions led him to get fired from the superhero franchise with the studio deciding to find a new director for the third Guardians film.
“I knew it was happening,” The Suicide Squad director shared as per EW. “The night before I got fired, I was sitting there going, ‘Oh, f–k.’ It was a nightmare.”
The filmmaker eventually issued a public apology for his controversial remarks acknowledging that they were in poor taste. Soon after his exit from Marvel, he received intense support from several members of the Guardians cast to reinstate him. Not just that, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich and DC Studios now co-CEO, Peter Safran also put in great efforts for the former’s return to the set. They believed that the filmmaker was unfairly treated.
“The following Tuesday, I saw Toby Emmerich at Warner Bros.,” said Safran. “Toby said to me, ‘Tell James whatever he wants to do, we want to do. We think he was unjustly treated.'”
When many appeared to support the filmmaker for his reinstatement, Disney eventually rehired him to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The movie went on to become a great critical and commercial success which continued his successful career trajectory.
