Is the Black Cat finally out of the bag? According to the usually reliable Latino Review it is, for they claim to have the inside scoop that Marvel Studios will be officially announcing GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY for a 2014 release (alongside CAPTAIN AMERICA 2) when they take to the stage at San Diego Comic Con in July.

If proved true, it’s surely one of the worst kept secrets in some time, with Marvel Studios head-honcho Kevin Fiege constantly professing his love for the title, and the fact that they fully intend to explore the furthest reaches of their universe, namely space. Also, the fact that Marvel took out a shit-ton of GOTG-related domain names just last week didn’t help either.

So what else is being said? Well, Thanos apparently plays a big role in it (purple dude in post-credits of THE AVENGERS) and the movie WILL feature The Avengers themselves in some way as it involves The Guardians travelling back to our present. This story will then lead into THE AVENGERS 2 the following year.

Colour us sold! Especially if it has this little fella in it…

Ladies and gentlemen… Rocket Racoon! 

I have to admit, at first I was skeptical whether Marvel Studios could actually pull this off in the wake of the GREEN LANTERN fiasco over at Warner Bros/DC, but if they’ve found a cheeky way to weave The Avengers into the storyline right out of the gate then consider it a hit already.

We’ll know for certain whether the Latino Review peeps are right – we certainly hope so! – in a few short weeks.

Are you a GOTG fan? Who should direct? Who should star? Whatever you’ve got on your mind spill it in the comments section below or on Twitter @Starburst_Mag