When “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn was fired back in July over the resurfacing of old, highly offensive, pedophillic tweets, the cast and crew of the Guardians films quickly protested the shocking termination defending his character.
While Disney did not rehire Gunn for the project, the Guardian reports that DC Cinematic Universe recently picked up Gunn to direct the sequel of their highly criticized “Suicide Squad.” But many superhero fans everywhere are wondering if James Gunn’s return to cinema is too soon.
Offensive jokes on Twitter are a difficult subject to navigate these days. Frankly it depends on the content of the tweets, how long ago the statements were made, and the sincerity of the apology. Gunn’s tweets are not to be excused, especially with his lackluster apology.
For those who are unfamiliar with the content of Gunn’s damning tweets, his statements happened sporadically over a four-year period, from 2008-2012, containing phrases so disturbing that they ought not be repeated.
While, yes, sometimes humor is simply just humor, the normalization of pedophilia cannot be overlooked. If these tweets had occurred once many, many years ago, it would be easier to forgive, but the repeated use of pedophillic jokes in this manner is not representative of the words of someone who views pedophilia as a serious crime.
On the other hand, Gunn has not released any statements containing pedophilic language or humor since 2012, so it is entirely possible he has changed his views over the course of six years. What separates Gunn’s situation from that of the Weinsteins or the Spaceys of the world is how Gunn’s colleagues stepped up to the plate to defend him, writing an open letter that the cast signed and tweeted out. “In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever,” the letter reads, according to the Verge. “We believe the theme redemption has never been more relevant than now.” The letter is signed by “The Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Fans tagged along on the defense of Gunn, tweeting in advocacy for his work and even starting a petition for Disney to rehire him on Change.org, currently sitting at more than 420,000 signatures.
Gunn has since apologized for his past tweets, but the apology seems to be dodging responsibility. Including phrases such as “I truly felt sorry,” which implies that he no longer feels sorry for his word, and, “I don’t blame my past self for this.” The apology as a whole acted more as an excuse for his past than him owning up to his mistakes and promising to move towards righting his wrongs.
The tweets should not be excused, nor should any pedophilic statements, but Gunn is not entirely past the point of no return. Though returning to a directorial grand re-opening so soon may not be the best way to show remorse for his actions. It may be in Gunn’s best interest to keep things quiet for awhile before revisiting Hollywood.
