American TV series or program
Guardians of the Galaxy is an American animated television series. It is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is produced by Marvel Television and Marvel Animation. The series airs on Disney XD. It premiered on September 26, 2015 as a part of the Marvel Universe block.
While the series serves as a continuation of the first film's plot,[3] the film's director James Gunn has stated that it is not a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe nor connected to the feature film or its sequel.[4]
Disney XD has renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 11, 2017.[5]
Plot
Season 1
The Guardians of the Galaxy team consists of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. They have obtained an artifact called the Spartaxian CryptoCube that is tied to the Spartax race. Inside is a map leading to the Cosmic Seed. The Cosmic Seed is a powerful weapon that is capable of creating a new universe. The Guardians of the Galaxy must find and destroy the Cosmic Seed before it can wind up in the hands of Thanos, his minions Ronan the Accuser, Nebula, and Korath the Pursuer, the Ravagers led by Yondu, and anyone else who would abuse its power to threaten the entire universe.
Season 2
Marvel Entertainment announced on their Twitter feed that the Avengers will team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy in Season 2 for an episode.[6]
Following Thanos' defeat, the Guardians of the Galaxy get their hands on a strange sarcophagus that was found on Thanos' asteroid base that has strange abilities and later stolen by Yondu. The Guardians of the Galaxy work to find the sarcophagus while competing against Mantis and the Universal Believers.
Production
Marvel was rumored to be considering a new animated series with another Spider-Man show or a Guardians of the Galaxy show. The appearances of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man were supposed to be test runs for their own show. Comicbookmovie.com indicated in January 2014 that the Guardians of the Galaxy series was selected for development.[8]
On July 26, 2014, at San Diego Comic-Con, a week before the release of the Guardians of the Galaxy film, Marvel Animation announced the Guardians of the Galaxy animated TV series with a trailer featuring Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord.[9] With the success of the live action film, Marvel and Disney XD announced that they were moving forward with the animated series at New York Comic Con. They showed some test footage to the audience.[10] It is intended to air in 2015 as a part of the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD.[1]
Advanced previews of the show started airing on Disney XD on August 1, 2015. A full preview of the series aired on Disney XD on September 5, 2015. The official one-hour premiere aired on September 26, 2015.[11]
Each episode is named after or a reference to a popular song from the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.
Music
In late August, it was revealed that licensed songs from the 1970s would be used to augment the tone and soundtrack of the series.[12]
In September, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Mix Vol. 1 (Music from the Animated Television Series) was announced. It is a collection of 12 songs featured in the show’s first season.[13]
Adaptations
The animated series is adapted into a comic book series known as Marvel Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy. It uses the episode's art work with writing and letter by Joe Caramagna.[14]
Reception
Ratings
| Season
|
Timeslot (ET)
|
Episodes
|
Premiered
|
Ended
|
Viewers
(in millions)
|
| Date
|
Premiere viewers
(in millions)
|
Date
|
Finale viewers
(in millions)
|
| 1
|
Saturday 9:30 p.m.
|
26
|
September 5, 2015
|
0.39[15]
|
|
0.37
|
0.51
|
Critical response
Critical and fan reception for the series has been relatively positive. Nerdist gave the show a positive review stating "this was a pretty solid introduction to the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series".[16] ToonZone said "the premiere was pretty good, but the episodes that followed have shown real promise".[17] Screenrant wrote "Disney XD’s Guardians of the Galaxy delivers an exhilarating action-packed adventure."[18] The Nerd Repository praised the series and stated "Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is an absolute blast and probably the best thing Marvel Animation has done in a long while."[19]
Conversely, IGN said "the show seems too concerned with adhering to the style, tone and look of the movie and not with leaving its own mark on the characters."[20] The A.V. Club gave the premiere a "B-" ranking. They wrote that "Disney XD has a very specific demographic that they are aiming for, which leaves “Road to Knowhere/Knowhere to Run” somewhat clunky and awkward."[21] The Solute stated "There is certainly potential for interesting stories to be told within Marvel’s cosmic realm, especially when told in the medium of animation, but Guardians Of The Galaxy is far from realizing that potential right now."[22]
Broadcast
Guardians of the Galaxy aired on Disney XD in the United States and Disney Channel in Canada on September 5, 2015 as a preview. It officially debuted on September 26, 2015.[23] The series premiered on Disney XD in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 7, 2015. It also premiered on Disney XD in Australia and New Zealand on November 8, 2015.[24][25]
