![(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 19, 2017, writer and director James Gunn arrives for the world premiere of the film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in Hollywood, California. "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 pedophilia. Disney, which owns the franchise as the parent company of Marvel Studios, sent AFP a statement July 20, 2018 confirming the studio was parting ways with one of its biggest stars. / AFP / Frederic J. Brown](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DXCPQ2JCTMLZBQ2M25NRQCAMWU.jpg?smart=true&auth=ee63f1da1535daef804fae31808b7af19bd688574f0e3bab50fae0b7d249ded4&width=400&height=225)
Director James Gunn AFP
Director James Gunn fired from 'Guardians 3' over old tweets
Gunn's current Twitter account is heavy on left-leaning politics, and some on the right with whom he'd sparred found and promoted the tweets from 2008 to 2011 that led to his firing
Associated Press
21 July, 2018