Latest breaking news in the world of Marvel comic lovers comes as a shock to fans across the world.
James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and the cult classic status of his work in films such as “Slither”, was fired by Disney.
Why was James Gunn fired?
The recent resurfacing of old tweets resulted in James Gunn being fired by Disney.
The studio’s chairman Alan Horn said: “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.”
James Gunn is known for his irreverent take on the superhero franchise, having made the groundbreaking Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt.
Now, however, a far darker and inappropriate side of his humour has surfaced.
What did James Gunn tweet?
The tweets in question took place between 2008 and 2010 and all surrounded the topics of paedophilia and rape.
The tweets have been met with repugnance on behalf of the public, and many have taken to Twitter to express their anger and disappointment.
According to Variety, Gunn has faced this kind of internet controversy once before.
Back in 2011, Gunn made a public apology for a blog he wrote in which he wrote Iron Man could “turn” the lesbian Batwoman into a heterosexual.
The same blog post also saw Gunn call Gambit a “Cajun fruit,” and Batgirl (a teen mom in the comics) “easy.”
His apology in 2011 was far less remorseful than his current apology, with him acquiescing only to “poorly worded” statements.
Now, Gunn has taken to Twitter, again, to apologise. He wrote: “Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo.
“As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
“It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger.
“My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over.
“I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.
“For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out.
“I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.”