Guardians of the Galaxy | Behind-The-Scenes Directed by James Gunn, who wrote the screenplay with Nicole Perlman, it features an ensemble cast. Perlman began working on the screenplay in 2009. Producer Kevin Feige first publicly mentioned Guardians of the Galaxy as a potential film in 2010 and Marvel Studios announced it was in active development at the July 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. Gunn was hired to write and direct the film that September. In February 2013, Pratt was hired to play Peter Quill