Gibson has made enough money that he can say anything he damn well pleases. Is his career over? He’s got the money in the bank to retire, why even entertain the thought that some Hollywood liberal big whig may hire him for a movie? Gibson can say and do all he wants, public be damned.
He made a mint on Passion, so he can probaly still produce a few movies on his own.
Gibson has charisma on screen and given the right storyline, he will still be a big star. IMO.
At a certain point, when you have enough, the money doesn't matter anymore. It's about the power, the attention and so on. It's about being a major player in the most glamorous game in the world. That's hard to just walk away from.