James Gunn is undeniably one of the fewer directors of today’s generation who get to handle multiple billion-dollar franchises, and his reach within the industry has risen quite a bit since his last fiasco. The one where he was fired from being the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise over crude and offensive tweets about the Holocaust, the 9/11 attacks, AIDS, pedophilia, and r*pe.
Gunn faced immense backlash and criticism for his comments and also paid dearly for it. 2018 was probably his toughest year as he spent the entire second half of the year apologizing for his senseless and rude comments on delicate matters. The director made several public apologies but was ultimately fired from the position of director in MCU as they did not want to tarnish their brand with such controversies.
James Gunn’s Tweets That Shook the Entertainment Industry
Currently, James Gunn’s reputation is over the roof as he is maintaining a solid relationship with both MCU and DCU for quite some time now. Moreover, as he was recently appointed as the co-CEO of the rebooted DC Universe, much responsibility rests on his shoulders to make the franchise alive again. In addition, he also directed the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, working closely with MCU’s boss Kevin Feige which further boosted his presence in the industry.
But there was also a time when his entire career and reputation were dragged through the mud due to some insensible comments and remarks he made regarding matters related to public sentiment which resulted in him losing his job as the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Even though he immediately made a public apology for his embarrassing tweets, he was fired by then chairman of Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn. However, James Gunn was hired back in 2019 by the same for completing the Guardians trilogy.
“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since [..] also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time”
In an interview with THR, former chairman Alan Horn shed some light on the situation that almost destroyed James Gunn’s Hollywood career as he said that,
“Everything he did subsequently was first class. He was such a gentleman about it in the ensuing months that we just brought him back. It felt like the right thing to do. I hold him in absolute high regard.”
Moreover, Alan Horn had a major hand in handing over the co-CEO position of DC Studios to James Gunn as he was a senior consultant at Warner Bros. As of now, it proved that the decision to bring back Gunn into the franchise was the right one as the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is flourishing right now.
James Gunn’s DCU Reboot
James Gunn is quite famous nowadays with his DCU reboot and the introduction of Chapters in it, just like MCU’s Phases. Chapter 1, named Gods and Monsters will have many movies and TV shows that will enjoy their appearance on the big screen for the first time. Projects like Superman: Legacy, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, The Authority, Creature Commandos, Waller, Booster Gold, Paradise Lost, and Lanterns will make their way to the big screen and fans are excited about it as they span for a duration of the next ten years.
James Gunn has previously made a statement regarding the development of the heroes and villains, he stated that, unlike the conventional ways, focusing on the big names, this time around the franchise will focus on bringing underdog comic heroes and villains. Moreover, the hunt for the new Superman has already begun per an official statement from Gunn and many are highly expecting from the team as there are countless available celebrities for the role, but we only want the best.
Source: IMDB
