About as surprising as celebrities that pay to get their children into college: Disney reinstates fired and disgraced director James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3
I think the only real question marks that come remotely close to being something of surprises, was when this was going to occur. Considering the firing, which if you need a refresher, revolved around the fact that James Gunn was smart enough to tweet jokes about pedophilia, rape and other inappropriate subject matter on Twitter like a decade ago, which naturally stays on the internet for eternity, was unearthed, and therefore Disney shitcanned him; even though he received a tremendous amount of support from the entire Guardians cast, namely Dave Bautista who threatened to walk away from the series as if he thought anyone thought he was completely indispensable.
Naturally, the firing was as stupid as American politics, because really, who hasn’t said stupid shit, much less stupid shit on the internet at some point in time? It’s just the fact that James Gunn was in an elevated position societally that made him a target for the trolls that actually spend time looking for inflammatory things once said to bring to surface because that’s the kind of world we live in now which totally sucks. But Disney being the gozillion dollar company it is, seemed to think they can’t afford to have someone who made a careless innocuously insensitive series of tweets when he was young and stupid, felt that they had to do it anyway. Did everyone also conveniently forget that Walt hated Jews?
Anyway, I understand why Didney did it, but it doesn’t change the fact that I thought it was stupid. Naturally though, stupider is the obvious news that Didney brought Gunn back, which kind of also sends mixed, but also negative messages out to the inquiring public: namely the fact that by bringing Gunn back kind of says that Didney condones insensitive jokes about pedophilia, rape, the Holocaust and 9/11.
I get that people saying stupid shit is a weak rationale for firing, but there was actually something to be respectable about Didney’s firm stance on actually pulling the trigger on firing Gunn in the first place. And that I think it’s kind of poor form for them renege on it, because there’s money to be made in the Guardians franchise, because it’s kind of making them look greedy and tolerant of insensitive jokes, because they’re greedy.
It also sends the message that stupid shit can be forgivable; but only if there’s profit at risk. Gunn will probably have to publicly take some sensitivity training and craft some more messages of inclusion in his notes app that he’ll post to Twitter to denounce tasteless jokes. But it’s why the rich get away with everything, while anyone else who’s ever been in a similar situation, but isn’t a celebrity, doesn’t get away with it.
To answer my own question, I think it goes without saying that Batista gets his job back with Didney. If they’re willing to overlook bad jokes about pedophilia and rape, they’re definitely going to turn the other cheek for a guy simply trying to stick up for someone he considered a friend. And the reality is that neither Didney or Batista probably actually made any sort of official divorce from one another, and all while Batista was denouncing Didney for 86’ing Gunn, he probably wasn’t turning away royalty checks. It’s probably also why he’s back in the WWE, because it sure as shit ain’t for Wrestlemania season, but probably to stay fresh in the minds of people, for when Avengers: Endgame needs that boost from the wrestling fanbase.
Frankly, firing Gunn in the first place was stupid, but bringing him back not even a year later is also poor form. But when profit is on the line, all is forgivable, regardless of the negative messages that are implied in the process.
