Guardians of the Galaxy stars wow crowd despite smaller turnout

The turnout was not as super as previous red carpet events for comic book heroes.

Earlier this year, when the cast of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past graced similar promotional events here, legions of avid fans were out in full force to greet them.

The welcome at yesterday's Guardians of the Galaxy red carpet event paled in comparison but this proved to be a blessing for the estimated 1,000 fans who were gathered outside Shaw Lido.

It meant most, if not all, went home with an autographed item or a prized selfie with director James Gunn and stars Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista during their hour-long walk down the red carpet.

The trio were here to promote the upcoming Marvel superhero flick, which opens here on July 31.

All three made an effort to greet as many fans as possible. Arguably the most dedicated of the trio was actor and former wrestler Bautista.

The burly actor, who was the first to arrive, proved surprisingly outgoing. He frequently cracked jokes and admitted that he felt "overwhelmed by the attention".

Despite sweating buckets in the evening heat and with his white shirt becoming translucent as the night wore on, Bautista, who stars as the brute Drax the Destroyer, soldiered on.

He was armed with just a piece of tissue paper to dab at his face. "I feel so dainty," he joked.

As for Saldana, 36, and Gunn, 43, they both looked to have adjusted well to being in Singapore.

The US director eagerly revealed that he has "been eating non-stop" since he arrived on Tuesday.

"I've had Hokkien mee, chicken and rice (chicken rice), pig's trotters and a bunch of things I can't pronounce. I eat everything," he said with pride.

Despite the heat, Saldana - who stars as feisty green alien assassin Gamora in the movie - appeared cool and collected in a glittering Michael Kors dress and heels.

In fact, she was game enough to entertain a request and belted out retro hit Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede, part of the movie soundtrack.

An ardent Argentina fan, Saldanawas disappointed at not being able to catch the World Cup final as she will be on the flight home.

The trio later took to the stage and took a group selfie, with Saldana appearing most fascinated with the selfie stick.

Teacher and Marvel fan Alex Tan, 24, said: "I have been waiting for the movie since last year, so I'm very excited to be here. I got Dave's and Zoe's signature but not James's, unfortunately."

The 1½-hour event may not have been the grandest affair, but for the fans who got to meet them, these Guardians Of The Galaxy were nothing less than stellar.