Joseph Gordon-Levitt to star in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'?

The "Inception" star is being being seriously considered by Marvel studios to play leading man Peter Quill - otherwise known as Star-Lord - in its new superhero franchise, reported Daily Star.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Pic/AFP

The film, to be helmed by 'Slither' director James Gunn, is based on the Marvel Comics series and features half-human, half-alien Quill as the captain of a psychically-controlled spaceship. He embarks on a mission to lead a group of superheroes against an evil alien race who threaten the solar system.

It had previously been reported that Marvel were casting for the lead and had narrowed their search down to eight actors, including Garrett Hedlund ('Tron Legacy'), James Marsden ('X-Men'), Eddie Redmayne ('My Week with Marilyn') and Jim Sturgess ('Across the Universe'). The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' script has been written by Chris McCoy and Nicole Perlman and the film is scheduled for release in August 2014.