The news that James Gunn has been fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 due to the resurgence of some appalling tweets he posted nearly a decade ago has seemed to split the internet right down the middle, with some supporting the decision while others mourn the loss of another Gunn Marvel movie. Those that’ve uniformly spoken out in the filmmaker’s defense, though, are his cast from the GotG films. After making their own statements on social media, the team came together to pen a pro-Gunn open letter on the subject.
Another Guardians star has now come forward though to offer their thoughts on the matter. Glenn Close is a Hollywood legend and in 2014 she made her debut in a comic book movie when she played Nova Prime in Guardians of the Galaxy. When speaking on the HFPA: In Conversation podcast, the actress was asked what she felt about the controversy, and here’s what she had to say:
“I felt sad. I felt sad certainly for James and I felt sad for the whole situation. I felt sad that we’re in a society where on social media people say things that they might not say in person. I think that’s a real danger. If you’re saying something on social media that you can’t say to somebody face to face, you should think about what you’re saying on social media.”
It’s unclear who Close is talking about when she warns of the dangers of social media. Is she speaking to those that lashed out at Gunn and effectively ruined his career at Marvel? Or is she telling others not to repeat Gunn’s mistake of making crude jokes that you wouldn’t tell in person on Twitter? Honestly, it’s hard to know.
Regardless, she then went on to say some good things about Gunn as a filmmaker, explaining that she believes he’s a solid director who treats his cast and crew well.
“When I worked with him it was the first time I had been in a movie like that and he was a really good director and he had a great atmosphere on set.”
As you’ve probably heard by now, Disney’s word is final and James Gunn won’t be rehired for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, most reports point to his script still being used for the threequel, something that’ll likely please Dave Bautista. Given that production was expected to begin in early 2019, Marvel will want to get on and find a replacement director pretty sharpish, and as soon as they’ve found someone, we’ll be sure to let you know.
