James Gunn opens up about being rehired by Disney: 'People have to be able to learn from mistakes'

Nearly a year after the controversy, director James Gunn is opening up about his firing — and eventual rehiring — for the first time.

Gunn, who was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in July 2018 over resurfaced offensive tweets but rehired in March 2019, broke his silence in a new interview with Deadline. He describes the day he was booted off the project as being the "most intense of my entire life," saying it "felt as if my career was over." As the story engulfed social media, Gunn says he disconnected from it all, although he was "feeling the shrapnel constantly" through calls and texts.

This included calls from the Guardians cast — with Sylvester Stallone even FaceTime-ing him — and Gunn said the outpouring of support he experienced was "absolutely overwhelming." For that reason, he says that "a part of that day was the worst of my life, and a part of it was the greatest day of my life."

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Gunn's rehiring in March was a stunning development, as it was thought the door had long closed on his return. Apparently, he felt the same way, explaining that by the time he moved on to another project, The Suicide Squad, he "thought of Guardians 3 as being long gone." But then he began to have conversations with Walt Disney Studios Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn, initially just to "be comfortable saying goodbye and splitting up." This eventually led to Horn deciding to bring him back on, and Gunn says he was "touched by his compassion."

Now, Gunn is excited to continue the Marvel franchise in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, reflecting back on the saga as demonstrating that "people have to be able to learn from mistakes" because "if we take away the possibility for someone to learn and become a better person, I'm not sure what we are left with." Read the full interview at Deadline.