After assigning Chris McCoy to rewrite Nicole Perlman’s script for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ a few weeks back, Marvel seems to be circling an interesting pick to direct their team of intergalactic defenders. According to Collider, James Gunn, the director of the darker ‘Kick-Ass’-esque superhero film ‘Super’ starring Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page, is the studio’s number one choice.
The report notes that the House of Ideas is impressed with the director’s ability to mix action, horror, and comedy, albeit on a much smaller scale than what ‘Guardians’ will be. Since the team’s comics have always had a balance of both comedy and sci-fi drama, Gunn seems to be a great fit.
The studio is currently in exclusive talks with Gunn, but in the event that he turns them down, they also have Peyton Reed (‘Yes Man’ and ‘Bring It On’) and the duo of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (‘Half Nelson’ and ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’) on their list of potential directors. Out of those three, I think that Gunn is the clear-cut best choice to direct ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. I’m a huge fan of ‘Super’ and it’s ability to jump from a really funny scene to tear-jerking, dramatic scene in a matter of seconds. Based on the description of what they’re looking for in the ‘Guardians’ film, I think Gunn can accomplish that. Also, with a giant tree and talking raccoon with a really big gun on the team, I feel like the other two non-Gunn choices would make the movie super corny.
One last thing that Collider notes: If James Gunn gets the job and Joss Whedon overseeing Phase Two after he signed a three-year contract with Marvel, chances of Serenity captain Nathan Fillion joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some capacity are greater than ever seeing as both directors have a working relationship with him. Hey, fanboys can dream, can’t they?
Featuring the team of Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Star-Lord, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is scheduled for release on August 1, 2014.
