Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt address the shocking firing of Marvel director James Gunn after a series of his old crass and offensive tweets were unearthed a few days ago. The actors were poised to reunite with Gunn soon, as filming for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was expected to get underway in early 2019. Now, it’s unclear what will happen to the popular MCU sub-franchise, considering the filmmaker was such a pivotal part in crafting not only these movies’ stories, but also in nailing their unique vibe and tone.

For these reasons, the last few days have been an exceptionally difficult time for MCU fans and crew members alike, in particular those who worked on the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films with Gunn. In light of this, Guardians costars Saldana and Pratt (who play Star-Lord and Gamora, respectively, in the movies) have addressed the issue via separate social media posts.

Saldana admitted it’s been a rough weekend for her in a Tweet referencing the situation with Gunn. While she didn’t specifically name-drop the filmmaker, she emphasized that she loves “ALL members of my GOTG family. Always will”. Pratt’s post, on the other hand, is significantly more vague, as the actor opted to use a Bible quote - one not so coincidentally from the Book of James - as his response to the issue on Twitter. You can check out their responses, below:

While the pair’s statements are less direct than the response of their costar Dave Bautista (who was the first actor from the Guardians of the Galaxy films to address the situation), they’re still clearly supportive of Gunn. Most likely, the duo were trying to show support for the director without also sounding like they’re attacking Disney (which is still their employer). It’s a tricky situation to handle as it is, especially when one thinks about how this whole mess started, but it’s even more difficult for those who are part in the Guardians of the Galaxy inner-circle. It remains to be seen if Marvel Studios (not Disney) will issue an official statement on the matter.

The issue continues to be a divisive topic, as seen in the comments section of both Pratt and Saldana’s tweets. Some feel Gunn’s offensive remarks are in no way excusable, and Disney did the right thing by swiftly taking action and firing him. Others, meanwhile are pointing out that these comments have been public knowledge for years now. Gunn previously apologized for them, and did so again right before and after he was fired by Disney. In fact, it’s a dark part of his career that he doesn’t bother concealing, admitting that he was once a crass and nasty person on social media in interviews. It was actually the chance to working on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies that motivated him to change and become a better person.

Amidst this whole debacle, it’s important to see the whole narrative before any one walks away with a final verdict. As previously mentioned, it’s a controversial topic - one that is difficult to discuss, as it spawns other conversations including when a person should or shouldn’t be defined by their past.

MORE: Disney Should Rehire James Gunn For Guardians of the Galaxy 3

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Source: Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt

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