Mel Gibson unfairly replaced in The Hangover 2

LOS ANGELES, USA - Producers have axed Mel Gibson from Hangover 2, but is the decision to replace him good for the film?

The unfortunate news for Gibson means that Liam Neeson will now take his place. Despite the axing, director Todd Phillips strongly supported his involvement along with Warner Bros but admitted that he did not have everyone's support.

I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew.

The little known cast of the original 'The Hangover' movie seemed to have no objection to Mike Tyson appearing in a cameo who himself had been a convicted rapist. The small part helped Tyson make a turnaround in his life, who has since concentrated on helping his family. For Gibson, the saga continues, and it seems like everyone is eager to shut the door on him, even despite the fact he has no current conviction.

Without the success of the original movie, today's cast would not have a say on whether Gibson would appear in a cameo or not. It would appear according to various reports that Zach Galifianakis led the cast rebellion which resulted in Warner Bros decision to axe him.

Mel Gibson has faced media scrutiny for his infamous rant against former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva but when Warner Bros executives start taking orders from cast members on who should appear in their film, it would seem that Galifianakis exceeded his authority.

Although the rising comedian may have a fruitful career ahead of him, the mere fact that he has created this atmosphere by opposing Gibson is likely to cost him dearly in the future if the reports are true. Mel Gibson may be on a career low, but the Hollywood star has more than 3 decades of history, more than a billion dollars at the box office, and when the time comes for him to settle his past, people will turn to him to be part of their movies.

Warner Bros may have taken the decision to lower the risk of a stormy film shoot, and the potential backlash over his recent troubles, but in the end, the mere fact that a cast member should create such an atmosphere is highly unprofessional. Gibson's cameo appearance would have likely helped him in the short term, but ultimately Gibson doesn't need a cameo appearance to save his career. The outcome of this story is yet to be sown, but the morality of punishing a fellow cast member because of their stormy past, or personal disapproval, is highly unethical, and should normally not be tolerated.