James Gunn confirmed to direct and rewrite Guardians Of The Galaxy

It was thought to have been a done deal for a little while now, but Marvel has officially unveiled James Gunn as its director for Guardians Of The Galaxy , and has revealed that he'll rewrite the script to boot.

A script had already been written by Chris McCoy and Nicole Perlman, but Gunn has been given carte blanche to do away with that and write his own, as was the case with Joss Whedon on The Avengers .

Gunn is understandably excited about the project, and released an official statement via his Facebook page.

"For a month or so there’s been a lot of Internet speculation about my involvement with Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy ," said Gunn. "Until now I haven’t said anything, because I’m trying to be less expulsive about this project than I am about the rest of my life. But last night I got the go-ahead from Kevin Feige to let you all know that, yes, indeed, I am rewriting and directing Guardians Of The Galaxy ."

"As a lifelong lover of Marvel comics, space epics, AND raccoons, this is the movie I’ve been waiting to make since I was nine years old. Kevin, Joss, and all the folks at Marvel have been amazing collaborators so far, and we’re committed to bringing you something majestic, beautiful, and unique. I am incredibly excited.

"I am also incredibly grateful to the fans and the press for all their words of encouragement and support regarding my involvement with this project since the news first leaked. Thanks – you have, honestly, touched and overwhelmed me. And that’s it for now. Other than the occasional photos of my dog and cat here on Facebook, I’ll talk to you again in August 2014 when Guardians is released!"

Guardians Of The Galaxy opens in the US on 1 August 2014.

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.