Marvel eyeing Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ role?

As audiences have learned over the past few decades, there are apparently only two ways to produce a superhero film. One is the campy and fantastical “Batman & Robin” model which mirrors the (at times) goofy early days of comic books, and the other is the hard, gritty, and realistic approach popularized by movies like Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”

Whatever your preference, there’s no disputing the fact that moviegoers have been getting a lot more of the latter “gritty” category in recent years than the former fun-spirited one. Marvel’s modern slate of movies (like the “Iron Man” movies and “The Avengers”) have always managed to inject humour into the proceedings, but even those films take themselves a little too seriously at times. Films based on DC Comics properties like Batman and Superman (see “The Dark Knight” trilogy and the upcoming “Man of Steel”) continue to be dour and dire affairs. Isn’t it time to liven things up a bit?

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Marvel Studios seems appears poised to do precisely that with the upcoming big screen version of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The comic book company’s intergalactic superhero team is full of wild and weird alien characters (including a talking, gun-toting raccoon and an anthropomorphic tree) so playing things straight and dark in a movie version would make very little sense – a lighter tone is definitely in order. According to Latino Review, the studio is reportedly inquiring about the availability of Hollywood funnymen Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler with that more tongue-in-cheek approach in mind.

Marvel’s decision to hire filmmaker James Gunn (“Slither,” “Super”) reflects the studio’s desire to keep things a little more upbeat in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Gunn is renowned for his twistedly funny (sometimes offensively so) sensibilities, and it’s that approach that ended up landing him the “Guardians” gig. Pairing the director with a comedic talent like Carrey or Sandler would be a great start for the project.

Carrey, a veteran of VFX driven comedies like “The Mask” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” would likely fit right in with “Guardians of the Galaxy,” a heavily effects-reliant film. The Canadian comic actor has already shown an interest in comic book movies by taking the role of of Colonel Stars in the upcoming "Kick-Ass 2," and would probably be right at home playing a talking space raccoon.

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On other hand, Sandler is a bit of a wild card here. He's still a funny guy, but his recent movies have been almost unprecedented critical failures and box office flops. Would Marvel gamble the success of this potential franchise on someone whose name and the phrase "box office poison" have almost become synonymous?

Who would you prefer to see join "Guardians of the Galaxy"? Carrey or Sandler? Are you as tired of overly serious superhero movies as we are?

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is slated for an Aug. 1, 2014 release date.