The entire cast of “Guardians of the Galaxy” has signed a letter supporting recently fired director James Gunn and calling for Disney and Marvel Studios to reinstate him as the director of the upcoming third installment of the series.
The letter was posted on the social media accounts of several of the cast members, and can be read in full below.
“Although I don’t support James Gunn’s inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man,” wrote Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt in his post. “I’d personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3.”
Disney severed ties with Gunn after alt-right provocateur Mike Cernovich posted old tweets made by Gunn prior to joining Marvel Studios in which he made crude jokes about rape and pedophilia. In a statement, Gunn apologized for the tweets and said he accepted Disney’s decision.
While most members of the cast have not spoken publicly about the firing until this statement, star Dave Bautista has fired out several angry tweets condemning Gunn’s dismissal as a “cyber nazi attack that succeeded.”
Gunn’s brother Sean, who also performs in the film series, said that working on the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films changed Gunn, and that the films’ central theme of redemption and becoming a better person was a deeply personal one for the filmmaker.
The statement released by the cast echoed those sentiments, saying that Gunn’s behavior since his firing has been “consistent with the man he was every day on set.”
“In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever,” the letter reads. “We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now.”
Gunn has also received support from actress Selma Blair, who on Sunday deleted her Twitter account in support of Gunn. Prior to leaving Twitter, Blair called on the movie industry to rally behind Gunn, saying that he was one of the men who encouraged her to speak to Vanity Fair for a story about James Toback’s alleged history of sexual abuse.
“If people are punished despite changing, then what does that teach people about owning mistakes and evolving?” asked Blair in a tweet. “This man is one of the good ones.”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is currently slated for release in 2020.