Marvel’s Talking Exclusively To James Gunn For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Sources say James Gunn is in exclusive talks with Marvel to direct the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, an approach that just proves that they get it. Slither and Super are two films that display a remarkably deft balance between hilarity, thrills and gore, and the former Troma product has proven he can do a lot with a little. I can't wait to see this guy do a lot with a lot.

Marvel's evidently not ruling out the other directors in the running (Peyton Reed, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden), but if everything goes smoothly with Gunn's team, it sounds like it'll be a done deal.

If this deal does go through, I honestly can't think of better news. Gunn is a tremendous director (and writer, although Marvel's already hired Chris McCoy to rewrite Nicole Perlman's draft of the script), someone who's made a couple of incredible films playing by his own rules. He has a sensibility unlike anyone else in Hollywood, although as THR points out, it could be said that he's closest to Joss Whedon in tone. Whedon of course will be working closely with the director of Guardians of the Galaxy as the chief power behind Marvel's expanding cinematic endeavors.

I want this so much for Gunn, who deserves a huge break, but I want it even more for Marvel - and most of all for us. I think he'll bring something lively, irreverent and new to a project that could easily lean toward the bloated and tiresome. Consider my fingers crossed.