In one of the most surprising U-Turns ever, Disney have reinstated James Gunn as the director for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, reversing the decision to sack him, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
Gunn was fired by Disney back in July of last year after a series of offensive and controversial tweets were dug up and publicized by internet trolls as part of a campaign to discredit the director. Gunn’s tweets, some of them over a decade old.
At the time, Walt Disney chairman Alan Horn called Gunn’s tweets “offensive” and “indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values” in a statement announcing Gunn’s termination. But the director received widespread support from comedians and actors, including the cast of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, after he was fired, believing that Gunn was unfairly targeted by far-right activists with a political axe to grind. Guardians stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff, and Michael Rooker signed a joint statement saying they “fully support” Gunn, but did not specifically call for him to be reinstated by Disney.
In the intervening months, Gunn has since signed on to write and direct Suicide Squad 2 for Warner Bros and has already tapped Idris Elba for the part of Deadshot.
James Gunn has since posted a note thanking fans for their support, as well as thanking Disney for the opportunity
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 15, 2019