Disney fires Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn over offensive tweets

James Gunn.
(Image credit: Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images )

Disney on Friday cut ties with James Gunn, who was set to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, after prominent conservative Twitter users unearthed Gunn's old tweets referencing pedophilia and rape, reports Deadline.

Gunn was removed from the Marvel Comics franchise, with Disney calling his tweets "indefensible." The offending comments, which also included jokes about 9/11 and the Holocaust, have since been deleted. Right-wing bloggers who resurfaced the tweets have criticized Gunn's political beliefs, reports Fox News, and have condemned his outspoken opposition to President Trump.

Gunn defended himself by describing his tweets as an attempt to be a "provocateur," and said he's "very, very different" than he was in 2010 and 2011 when he posted the "shocking jokes" online. Read more at Deadline.

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