Kurt Russell on James Gunn controversy: ‘We’re getting a little too sensitive’

Actor Kurt Russell defended James Gunn after the director was fired from the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel, saying “we’re getting a little too sensitive.”

Russell, who starred in the second installment of the Disney blockbuster, told Variety at an Emmy celebration on Saturday that Gunn’s dismissal was “sad.”

“It’s sad. But it’s a part of our fabric now, and I get it,” Russell said. “But I do think we’re getting a little too sensitive on maybe some of the wrong people.”

{mosads}

Gunn was fired last month after conspiracy theorists and far-right activists resurfaced his old tweets containing offensive jokes about pedophilia and rape.

Nine of the film’s cast members signed an open letter last week calling for Gunn to be reinstated.

“We fully support James Gunn,” reads the letter, which is signed by cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper, among others. “We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen and discuss.”

Dave Bautista, one of the stars who is standing by Gunn, said that it was “nauseating” to work for Disney after the abrupt ouster of his colleague. 

“I will do what Im legally obligated to do but @Guardians without @JamesGunn is not what I signed up for,” Bautista tweeted. 

“GOTG w/o @JamesGunn just isn’t GOTG. Its also pretty nauseating to work for someone who’d empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis . That’s just how I feel,” he added. 

I will do what Im legally obligated to do but @Guardians without @JamesGunn is not what I signed up for. GOTG w/o @JamesGunn just isn’t GOTG. Its also pretty nauseating to work for someone who’d empower a smear campaign by fascists #cybernazis . That’s just how I feel https://t.co/Ym4FwruVDu

— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) August 5, 2018

Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said Gunn’s Twitter feed was “indefensible.” 

“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Horn said.

Gunn apologized for the comments in a Twitter thread and shut down his personal website. He also said in a statement to BuzzFeed that he has “regretted [the tweets] for many years.”

“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative,” Gunn said in a statement. “I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.”