The lead cast of Guardians of the Galaxy has called for the reinstatement of its director James Gunn, after he was sacked earlier this month over old tweets.
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel all signed an open letter supporting Gunn, and said they had been shocked by his removal.
Disney fired Gunn from the third instalment of the hit sci-fi franchise after tweets posted between 2008-2011 resurfaced, where he joked about rape and paedophilia.
He wrote and directed both of the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, with the third due for release in 2020. He also worked on the successful Avengers franchise.
The character he has shown in the wake of his firing is consistent with the man he was every day on set, and his apology, now and from years ago when first addressing those remarks, we believe is from the heart, a heart we all know, trust and love. In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever. We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now."