Wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista has voiced concerns over the firing of James Gunn as the director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3", saying he is not "ok" with the decision of the Disney Studios.
Gunn was fired by Disney after his old tweets resurfaced where he cracked crude jokes dealing with paedophilia and rape.
The 49-year-old actor, who plays Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, took to Twitter to share his opinion on the development and defended the filmmaker.
"I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this..@JamesGunn is one of the most loving, caring, good natured people I have ever met," Bautista tweeted.
"He's gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He's made mistakes. We all have. I'm not ok with what's happening to him," he added.
Actor David Dastmalchian, who played Kurt in "Ant-Man" and its sequel, also came out in support of the filmmaker, saying Gunn is "one of the most amazing people I've known".
"I've been saying this for years! @jamesgunn is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known -- both professionally and personally."
"There are so many people in our lives that we would never have known without the incredible magnet of talent and goodness that is James (and his awesome partner in life, @jenniferlholland). Thanks for making us a part of your family, buddy," the actor wrote on Instagram.
The screenshots of Gunn's tweets, which ranged from 2009 through 2012, were shared by a conservative website The Daily Caller.
Gunn, who has been quite vocal in his criticism of US President Donald Trump, issued an apology on Twitter and claimed that he has changed over the years.
"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," Gunn wrote.