In an exclusive Deadline report, Disney has done the unexpected and reinstated James Gunn as director-writer for Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The film’s production received immense controversy in July 2018 when James Gunn was removed from the Marvel series when old, controversial tweets related to paedophilia and rape resurfaced.

1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humour.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

While Gunn provided a public apology, Disney followed their decision with the statement “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.”

“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,” Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said https://t.co/dBS5seKd6r

— Variety (@Variety) July 20, 2018

Disney’s decision received criticism from actors attached to the series (notably Dave Bautista and Glenn Close) and received a rebuttal from Marvel. Guardians 3 will enter production after Gunn completes production as director-writer for Warner Bros and DC’s Suicide Squad sequel.

More information to follow.