Marvel charts new frontier with Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel's latest movie Guardians of the Galaxyisn't even in theatres and yet it's already generating predictions that it's going to be the movie of the summer.

Marvel is known for drawing massive audiences to the theatre with its blockbuster fare but Guardiansis different.

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Unlike Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers and Captain America, the satirical sci-fi adventure features lesser known characters from the Marvel roster, and the action is entirely set in space. With Marvel's recent revelations of a female Thor and a black Captain America, the comic empire continues to hint at major changes going on behind the scenes.

Marvel's first movie written by a woman

Guardians of the Galaxyisalso the first Marvel movie to be written by a woman, screenwriter NicolePerlman.

In a recent interview withTIME magazine,Perlman described the trouble she had persuading studios to trust a woman to write sci-fi:

"I was noticing that I was having trouble convincing people, when I was pitching on projects, that I would be capable of doing this. There was a little bit of an attitude of, Well, youre a woman, youre not writing romantic comedies, well give you the Marie Curie biopic."

In the same interview, Perlman also fuelled speculation that Marvel is developing a movie around a femalesuperhero.

Space for strong female characters

The studio currently has five unannounced titles planned for release between now and 2019, and there is a growing demand from fans who want to see a female superhero in the lead role.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldana plays lethal, butt-kicking Gamora alongside Dave Bautista's muscle-bound Drax the Destroyer.

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In an interview withCBC News, Bautistasays he'spleased to see strong female characters likeGamorain movies today, especially because he was raised by a single mom.

"It was just me and my mom and my sister growing up, and it really feels good to see that strong woman. She's not just sitting in the background" he says. "She's got that sweet side to her but she's definitely, I mean she's strong, intelligent, independent. She's a character within herself. She stands out."

• Watch the official Guardians of the Galaxy trailer

Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theatres thisFriday, andMarvel is banking on it being a hit.

The film's sequel is already slated to come outJuly 28, 2017.