To be fair, on the same token, I see a lot people saying that because the jokes weren't funny they automatically count as something overtly offensive. I don't think that's true, or fair. A joke doesn't have to be funny to miss being offensive. Otherwise, comedians would NEVER learn how to get better in their performances. Of course, James Gunn isn't a comedian and he isn't funny in those tweets. But I don't think a joke being unfunny should strip away any leniency, either. 

Also, I think your last sentence is missing the point. 10-11 years ago you REALLY COULD put what you wanted on the internet without consequences. It's hindsight and  that's what people mean I think when they say "it was a different political climate!"

I don't think he shouldn't have been fired, though.

Apparently it is true that in order to make a comedy super hero film, you have to be a liberal; and not a very experienced film maker with a dozen movies to their name. Seriously hope this hurts their wallets when GoTG Vol 3 isn't as good as the first 2 and people realize why. Looking for the same kinda flop like Solo was with this one.
Atleast we still have the first two to re-watch, we just don't have an amazing 3rd one to end that series off on a good note. Sad times. There is literally NO one who can do better.

I find it difficult to refer to those tweets as humorous...

And it's common sense not to put up silly tweets like that in any situation. When you tweet, you leave your digital footprint on the internet, and you're not scrubbing that away. I totally understand the firing from a business sense, the same way youtube ads are pulled from certain channels. You don't want to be that company that's okay with an employee of yours with this kind of "humor".

People may think this is unjustified, but I'd do the same thing if I were in Disney's shoes. It's not a good look.

for those saying this is completely justified, remember these are things he posted a decade ago, for those forum users who are in their 20s... do you remember what you said when you were 10? because if you get big and famous someone will dig it up and use it in an only argument at you, possibly to try and get you fired, does this still seem like a wise way to go about things?

You're preaching to the choir, most people do not have that kind of foresight though.

I would be in a dark place as well if I got divorced from Jenna Fischer :P
Clearly he's not some psychopath and those tweets were some part of an edgy craze he was going through at the time.
Of course joke about the p-word and suddenly you should go to jail for life.

He should sue.

He was smug as hell when others got fired for offensive tweets, so it's difficult for me to feel sorry for him.

December 22, 2012 is not a decade ago but I agree that it was a somewhat different climate.

Comparing a 46 year old James Gunn (he's now 51) to a 10 year old seems like grasping though.

Besides, this is all business. Disney loves money and if they risk being associated with bad press they'll do anything to fix it.

After all, the tweets are really bad.

If you look at the dates in that image (which you have posted twice, I know it's a nice collab someone made but it has served it's purpose you don't need to keep spreading it online now) you can see that even the first one in the top corner is from Feb 2009 which you are right, is not a decade ago, it is 9 years and 5 months ago, sorry for being so far out to call it a decade, will put it like this, as you are 27, do you recall what you were posting on the internet when you were 17? If someone dug it out and made a nice collab of it to have rabbid haters of you post to your boss repeatedly, would you risk being fired?

edit - Lol....

I genuinely thought you hadn't seen the tweets. That's why I posted the pic a 2nd time. I wouldn't have if the tweets were listed in the OP. I'm awfully sorry.

Yeah, the first tweet dates back to Feb 2009 but why ignore that the last one was written in Dec 2012 (5 years and 7 months ago)? That seems just as important (if not more). Don't you think? Besides, you proving that he wrote these tweets across several years doesn't help his case.

Bold: Of course I'd risk being fired if I said something in public that had a negative influence on my employer's business.

Look, the tweets were made a long time ago and James Gunn is probably a nice fella but considering how concerned Disney is regarding their image and PR, it doesn't surprise me that they reacted when the tweets were brought up and bad press started to emerge in mainstream media.