When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 became a box office hit, grossing a whopping $773 million, the spotlight wasn’t just on its galactic stars but also on the creators behind the scenes. Nicole Perlman, the first woman to script a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, wrote the draft script for the film.
However, the director and co-writer, James Gunn, had a different vision for the screenplay, and he made significant changes to the story and characters, leading to a dispute over who deserved the screenplay credit.
James Gunn Vs. Nicole Perlman: The Battle of Credit Where It Is Due
Although Nicole Perlman appeared to be doing well on the surface, behind the scenes, her story was different. Zack Stentz, Perlman’s friend and co-writer of the Thor screenplay, revealed that Perlman had to advocate for her credit on Guardians of the Galaxy fiercely. According to the MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, the intensity of this battle made her victory even sweeter, not just for herself but for female writers in the action genre.
“Nicole had to knife-fight for her credit on Guardians of the Galaxy. But she is probably the preeminent female action tentpole writer”
Suggested Article: “MCU is done”: Brie Larson’s The Marvels Pre-Sales is Lower Than Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, Ezra Miller’s The Flash
Perlman responded to the arbitration outcome with a bold move: she threw a ‘F**k James Gunn’ party. There were nuanced differences between Perlman and Gunn. Although Perlman initially introduced the Walkman in the movie, as revealed in the MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, Gunn made a significant contribution by using it to create a connection to Quill’s deceased mother.
“In Nicole’s script everything is pretty different… the story is different… the character arcs are different. It’s not about the same stuff. But that’s how the WGA works. They like first writers an awful lot.”
This also turned the 1970s soundtrack into a character that defined the movie’s tone and provided an emotional anchor for the audience. Overall, Gunn’s contribution to the movie was widely acknowledged and appreciated.
James Gunn Acknowledged Nicole Perlman’s Walkman Concept
In a rare moment of unity amid a fiery dispute over screenplay credits, all parties involved in creating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 acknowledged one crucial contribution – Nicole Perlman’s concept of Peter Quill’s Walkman.
The director researched the history of ’70s music, scanning Billboard charts to curate a collection that would resonate with the film’s tone. James Gunn’s process involved downloading hundreds of songs from the era, culminating in a carefully selected iTunes playlist of about 120 tracks that perfectly fit the film’s vibrant, nostalgic, and emotionally charged atmosphere.
The movie’s soundtrack, which includes popular songs like 10cc’s I’m Not in Love and Blue Swede’s Hooked on a Feeling, had a dual purpose. It was not only appreciated by the audience, but it also played an important role in the film’s narrative. Gunn had a clear vision that the music should be an integral part of the storytelling rather than just an afterthought. And it remained this way until the end of the franchise.
