Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy had a big year - it topped the box-office, it was very well-received by the audience and perhaps just as importantly, it earned overwhelmingly positive acclaim from the critics.

It certainly has all the makings of a cult film and while it's well on its way to become one, here's one more surprising achievement that is rarely bestowed upon comic book films - recognition from official award giving bodies.

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Buzz that the film might actually break genre trends has already been circulating, what with the upcoming awards season. And true enough, this film about an unlikely group of heroes starring Hollywood names such as Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace and others, has just been nominated by the prestigious Writers Guild Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay.

With original source material based on Marvel comic books, its surprising nomination makes it even more possible for the rollicking sci-fi film to get a nod from the Academy Awards themselves. Guardians of the Galaxy, essentially a comic book adaptation, is being pitted against heavy hitters such as American Sniper, Gone Girl, The Imitation Game and Wild-all of which are based on best-selling, critically acclaimed novels.

Previous comic-book based nominees are The Dark Knight, Ghost World, A History of Violence and American Splendor, the latter being the only one who has ever won the prestigious award. Notably, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy stands as the only comedy-adventure; even DC's The Dark Knight, which features the popular superhero Batman, introduced audiences to a darker version of the beloved comic.

The Writers Guild nomination goes a long way towards the film getting the recognition it deserves from the Academy, with fans possibly even appreciating just a nomination, if not a win. 

TagsGuardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Writers Guild Awards