As you’ll likely know by now, Avengers writer-director Joss Whedon is not just the man who helped make a mint for Marvel this year and who will be overseeing the sequel. Whedon also has a deal to be a creative advisor for the studio, which means offering guidance on the other projects it has bubbling away. One of the more risky is the planned adaptation of Guardians Of The Galaxy, which James Gunn is now officially on to craft. Whedon believes that Marvel has made a smart choice in engaging Gunn’s services.

"James is what makes me think it will work," Whedon tells MTV at the Toronto International Film Festival. "I myself was sort of like, 'Well, I liked Rocket Raccoon as a kid, but I'm not sure how that plays to a wider audience.' 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."

As for how Gunn intends to bring such an odd group of characters – let’s not forget the Galaxy heroes include a sentient tree and the aforementioned gung-ho raccoon – Whedon believes he’s got the goods. At least so far… “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!"

For more from Whedon, head to MTV’s site. Guardians Of The Galaxy should be with us around August 1, 2014, which is the US release date. Whedon was in Toronto with his new film, Much Ado About Nothing, which doesn't have a UK release date yet but really, really needs one before we all have to emigrate en masse.