If more people deserve second chances, “Guardians Of The Galaxy” director James Gunn is an example why.
Last summer, old tweets in which Gunn joked about rape and pedophilia were dug up. Even though Gunn had apologized for them, the optics were apparently too bad for Disney to handle, and the company fired him.
Then, whether thinking the statute of limitations on outrage had expired or considering how gracefully Gunn had handled the news, Disney recently signed him back on for “Guardians Of The Galaxy 3.”
After Disney unceremoniously canned Gunn, he spent some time reflecting on what the decision meant, for free speech and for civility. This week Gunn spoke with Deadline about the conclusions he came to, and he appears to know exactly what an apology should look like. He said:
Some alt-right journalists originally dug up Gunn’s tweets, apparently as retaliation for his anti-Trump views. But Gunn doesn’t blame the journalists or Disney. He’s right that he shouldn’t have said what he said.
And by taking responsibility for his own actions, Gunn sets an important precedent for other companies with “problematic” employees. If people can honestly apologize for their mistakes, especially just for off-color comments, their careers shouldn’t have to just end.
For his part, Gunn says the experience was good for him:
Maybe Disney didn’t need to fire Gunn for him to be “able to learn,” but at least the company rehired the contrite director. If corporations and the public want to see more redemption from their delinquents, they have to allow them to be sorry.
