Once upon a time, Mel Gibson was one of the biggest stars in the business, capable of commanding $20 million paychecks and putting butts in seats based on his presence alone, where he leaned into his signature brand of roguish charm and dangerous charisma.
That all came crashing down around him when a series of highly-publicized incidents in his personal life saw him excommunicated from the Hollywood A-list, with many thinking his career was over. While it wasn’t the end of the line, and he nabbed an Academy Award nomination for Best Director after helming Hacksaw Ridge, his star has nonetheless faded dramatically.
However, Gibson has been trending all day for a number of reasons, and as you can see from the reactions below, there’s just as many people defending him as there are those asking why he hasn’t been blacklisted.
While it’s clear that Gibson isn’t going to be in everybody’s good graces ever again, it’s hardly slowed him down. On top of boarding John Wick prequel series The Continental, he’s also got action thrillers Last Looks, Agent Game, Panama and Hot Seat on the way, as well as biopic Stu and family fantasy Boys of Summer, without even mentioning the news he’s set to direct Lethal Weapon 5.
