Zoe Saldana Proud of Disney For Re-Hiring James Gunn
variety.com: Zoe Saldana is thrilled to have James Gunn back on board for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Disney reinstated the director, who was fired from the Marvel franchise for offensive tweets, in mid-March.
The studio had fired Gunn last July when controversial tweets from nearly a decade ago resurfaced. The near-dozen tweets, which were said to be jokes, made light of pedophilia and rape. After a series of meetings, and with no replacement on board to direct the third “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the studio made the decision to rehire Gunn last month.
“I’m really excited, and I’m proud of Bob Iger and Alan Horn for stepping up and making a decision to reinstate James Gunn,” Saldana told Variety on Sunday morning at the New York City premiere for her upcoming animated film “Missing Link,” in which she’s part of an A-list voice cast, including Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis and Timothy Olyphant.
“I think the theme of redemption is a theme that we weren’t ready to discuss in 2018 because it was important for women to also strive to make workplaces more ethical and more professional. Not just for women but for men, as well,” Saldana said. “But leaving that space for redemption, for error, and then coming forward with so much humility and saying, ‘We acted impulsively and we’re going to rectify this,’ Disney is a big entity and they make content for younger audiences. You’re sending a strong message to kids, and that, I commend them for it.”
She added, “And obviously, I’m happy to have my captain back on board because we were panicking. No other person can be like James Gunn for ‘Guardians.'”
