The Prediction: A Marvel Studios film adapted from niche source material, helmed by a largely untested director and starring a giant tree monster and a talking, anthropomorphic raccoon? Sure, that'll put butts in seats... The Reality: Despite a massive uphill struggle to get audiences interested in something so weird, a fantastic marketing campaign, stellar reviews (90%) and contagious word-of-mouth caused Guardians to score a huge $772 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2014. Given the peculiar nature of the source material, Guardians' success is both a testament to audiences willing to bank on something exciting and original, and of course, the fact that Marvel Studios can pretty much sell anything to audiences at this point.