If you raised an eyebrow at Marvel’s announcement of a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which seemed to have been green-lit in the place of the more anticipated likes of Doctor Strange and Black Panther, then don’t worry, it seems that you weren’t alone.
Whilst at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting his own take on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing (which we loved), Joss Whedon spoke to MTV about his own reaction to the project’s unveiling, from his position of overseer.
“I myself was sort of like, ‘Well, I liked Rocket Raccoon as a kid, but I’m not sure how that plays’. And then they said, ‘Well, we’re thinking about using James Gunn’. And I said, ‘Oh, then no, you’re fine’. He is so off the wall, and so crazy, but so smart, such a craftsman and he builds from his heart. He loves the raccoon. Needs the raccoon”.
Gunn is indeed a risky choice for Marvel, something of a tradition for the studio, and one that has so far paid off. With a filmography that to date includes Slither and Super, he might just be the man to put an interesting spin on what has the potential to be just another Green Lantern.
“He has a very twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material. It’s going to be hard for the humans to keep up. I know he’s going to come from left field and I’m going to go, ‘What?’ And then, ‘Of course, why didn’t I think of that?’ And then I’m going to beat him!”
Guardians of the Galaxy is set for an August 1st, 2014 release, and will serve as a prelude to Whedon’s own The Avenger’s 2. As the first film currently stands as the third highest grossing movie of all time, it seems that Whedon may have already won.
