Armie Hammer’s mom Dru Hammer is diving headfirst into "cancel culture" controversy ... launching a podcast to give disgraced men a mic -- and she’s telling TMZ exactly why.

We caught up with Dru on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, and she explained her new podcast "Hollywood and Divine" was born out of her personal experience watching her son face explosive accusations ... saying she wants to give career-damaged men a chance to either clear their names or show real remorse.

Catch the clip -- Dru admits she fully expects backlash, especially with her eyebrow-raising dream guest list that includes Kanye West, Matt Lauer, Danny Masterson, and more.

She even points to Mel Gibson as proof people can change, telling us he showed genuine remorse when they met following his past antisemitic scandal.

Bottom line -- Dru’s making it clear she believes canceled men deserve a shot at redemption ... and she’s hoping to start close to home, saying she wants Armie himself to sit down and tell his side of the story.