Guardians Of The Galaxy looks on the brink of securing a new director, with Heat Vision reporting that Slither 's James Gunn has moved to the top of Marvel's wish-list.
The director has got some superhero experience (after a fashion) thanks to his work on black comedy Super , although he remains a slightly surprising choice, having never directed this kind of summer tentpole affair before.
Still, Marvel clearly sees something they like, because the studio is currently conducting exclusive talks with the director. That said, it should be noted that Marvel has yet to rule out other notable contenders including Peyton Reed and the double-act of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden.
Clearly Marvel is after somebody who can handle humour and drama as well as the explosive action sequences. Despite the outer space setting, they'll be keen to recreate the character-centric feel that served The Avengers so well.
Following a group of intergalactic defenders, the film will feature the villainous Thanos (he of the Avengers post-credits sequence) going up against a resurrected human warrior, an anthropomorphised tree, a half-human / half-alien vigilante and a talking racoon, amongst others. It promises to be quite the spectacle.
Guardians Of The Galaxy will open in the US on 1 August 2014, with a UK release date to be confirmed.
