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James Gunn arrives at the 9th annual Governors Awards at the Dolby Ballroom. Jordan Strauss via PA Images

Guardians of the Galaxy director fired over old tweets that joked about rape

“As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humour,” Gunn responded.

‘GUARDIANS OF THE Galaxy’ franchise director James Gunn has been axed from the third movie over a series of offensive messages posted on Twitter several years ago.

The tweets, mainly from 2008 and 2011, joked about taboo topics such as rape and paedophilia.

Disney, which owns the franchise as the parent company of Marvel Studios, sent AFP a statement confirming the studio was parting ways with one of its biggest stars.

“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,” said Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

Gunn has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and has drawn the ire of conservative critics, who went back through his timeline and dug up the tweets.

Jack Posobiec of The Daily Caller and right-wing commentator Mike Cernovich are among those who unearthed the messages.

“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,” Gunn wrote on Twitter after the offensive tweets resurfaced late on Thursday.

As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humour.

Gunn, who has deleted his account, described himself as a “very, very different” person than when he wrote the tweets, now focusing on love rather than anger.

“My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over,” he added.

Gunn directed both Guardians of the Galaxy films, and was planning to head to San Diego’s huge annual Comic-Con fan convention this week with a secret film project that he had teased on Instagram.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due out in 2020.

© AFP 2018 

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
    Favourite Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:17 PM

    To think there’s a family out there who’s probably been looking for that poor girl for the last twenty years , it’s very sad .

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    Mute MandyTwinkleToes
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    Dec 4th 2015, 4:53 AM

    And what about the disappeared don’t they count?

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    Mute jane
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:19 PM

    How do you lose a skull?

    181
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    Mute Debbie Duggan
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:45 PM

    The poor girl,how could she ever rest in peace,no family as yet,buried in a place she probably never knew,from her shoulders down in a coffin and her skull probably in a box in a basement somewhere..such a sad story..your right Jane how do you lose a skull..

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    Mute Carol Keane
    Favourite Carol Keane
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:57 PM

    My parents were involved in the recovery of the body of a man in the early 2000′s (?) in the Shannon Estuary. That man has never been identified. He was given a state burial in Ennis. Another member of the rescue crew entered a competition on Clare FM a short time after to win a headstone. The competition called for people to write their own epitaph. He wrote one for the unidentified man and won. “All you people of Co. Clare, kneel down here and say a prayer, for the man from God knows where”. Very sad to think that there is no name on that headstone.

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    Mute fusha2020
    Favourite fusha2020
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:07 PM

    That made me go cold. What a lovely thing to do for someone and a lovely epitaph.Unclaimed bodies always make me feel so terribly sad, lost souls,some never missed and others never found.

    91
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    Mute Martin Oliver Browne
    Favourite Martin Oliver Browne
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:30 PM

    With technology and communication being so advanced it is hard to believe this persons family or friends can not be located ..very sad story ..

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    Mute Tosh Lavery
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:06 PM

    Great and sensitive article.

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    Mute Aisling Brady
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:16 PM

    another massive Fail for the Irish State – We are good at failure.

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    Mute Maggie
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:22 PM

    Hardly a fail.sure she cud have come from anywhere

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    Mute Colette Kearns
    Favourite Colette Kearns
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:40 PM

    Thats the sad thing about stories like this, maybe no family to miss her! Like the lady who’s body was found in the sea in clontarff I dont think she was even identified never mind been missed! We all take it so much for granted that everyone has family! Cherish yours everyday♡♡

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    Mute fusha2020
    Favourite fusha2020
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:12 PM

    A pretty epic fail really by forensic standards. No dental xrays,no chance of facial reconstrustion. Plus its just bad form to loose a part of someone,how’d you even do that its not exactly a set if keys!

    51
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