Disney Ditches GOTG Director After Old Tweets Dug Up

Just so we know the rules moving forward, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader is the only person allowed to be a jackass when it comes to reheated hot takes on Twitter. If you’re something silly like a director for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, you’ll be out of a job. Hader received a standing ovation when he returned to work, while James Gunn is probably standing in line at the unemployment office. Another case of “old tweets that you forgot to delete” coming back to bite a man in the arse.

Walt Disney Studios has cut ties with “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn after a series of his twisted old tweets re-surfaced this week.

“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.

Disney owns Marvel, the producers of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” flicks.

Two now-deleted offensive Gunn tweets from 2008-2011:

“I’m doing a big Hollywood film adaptation of The Giving Tree with a happy ending – the tree grows back and gives the kid a b—job.”

“The Expendables was so manly I f—ked the s—t out of the little p—y boy next to me! The boys ARE back in town!”

His apology that still won't result in being re-hired:

“Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor,” Gunn tweeted.

“It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over,” he wrote.

“In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.”

“For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.”

If some internet users set their outrage colored glasses aside for a sec, James’ tweets fell more into the category of failed attempts at being funny than offensive. Disney didn’t have to nail him on a cross, crucify and make an example out of him. Back when a verified blue check mark actually meant something and a 140 character limit kept those without the ability to be concise away, Twitter was used mostly for shenanigans. Jack Dorsey gave peons the power to harass celebrities directly by just @‘ing their username, who honestly couldn’t  foresee a sea of people abusing that feature? Sometimes you tell a few bad jokes in-between directly sending Salma Hayek pictures from the private photoshoot of the party going on in your pants. James just got caught with his trousers off and now he has to accept his public paddling. It should be protocol to delete your Twitter account and start over the moment you become important. But most people are lazy and forget that the internet is forever. He’ll door to direct GOTG porn parodies will probably be wide open if Hollywood is truly done with him, even after his apology. A few well directed scenes of Groot and Gamora getting it on should nab him Best Picture at the upcoming AVN awards. It’s not an Oscar, but it can almost feel like you won one if your standards and the lighting in the display case are kept to a minimum.

Photo Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Star Zoe Saldana From Instagram / MEGA / Getty Images