Director James Gunn has been fired from 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' after offensive tweets resurface

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James Gunn.

• Disney has removed director James Gunn from the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie because of old offensive tweets of his that recently resurfaced.
• "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.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise writer-director James Gunn has been fired by Disney from the third movie following old offensive tweets of his resurfacing 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 given to Business Insider.

Gunn was writing the script to the third "Guardians" movie, which was to begin shooting in the fall with a 2020 release date.

Gunn's offensive tweets, which he wrote in 2010 and 2011, were brought back to light by conservative personalities who were opposed to Gunn's tweets against President Trump and the Republican Party.

On Thursday night, Gunn addressed the controversy in a series of tweets, saying, "As I've developed as a person, so has my work and my humor."

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise has been one of the most successful for Disney/Marvel. The recent release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" was the fifth highest-grossing domestic release of 2017 and earned over $860 million worldwide.

Business Insider contacted Gunn's representative for comment but did not get an immediate response.