Watch CBS News

James Gunn Hired Back On To Direct 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' After Being Fired Over Old Tweets

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) – Nine months after being fired over inappropriate tweets, Disney has rehired James Gunn to write and direct the latest edition of the popular superhero franchise, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Representatives for Disney and Gunn on Friday confirmed that Gunn has been reinstated as writer-director of the Marvel franchise he has guided from the start.

James Gunn
James Gunn attends the premiere of Disney And Marvel's "Ant-Man And The Wasp" on June 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Disney fired the 52-year-old Gunn last July after tweets were dug up by several media outlets, dated between 2009 and 2012, in which he joked about issues including pedophilia, child molestation and rape.

"I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the last few months," Gunn said in a statement. "I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be."

His firing prompted immediate outrage from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" cast, who demanded Disney rehire him. In late July, all of the lead actors – including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel -- signed an open letter demanding he be brought back.

Gunn wrote and directed the worldwide hits "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Prior to those, he directed the movies "Slither" and "Super," along with a TV series called "PG Porn."

He has also signed on to write and direct the next installment of "Suicide Squad." That film is to shoot in the fall and be released in August 2021.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.