Guardians of the Galaxy (TV series)

Did You Know?

• A soundtrack collection titled Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Mix Vol. 1 (Music from the Animated Television Series) was released, featuring 12 songs from the first season.
• The series was adapted into a comic book series called Marvel Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy, with art from the episodes and writing by Joe Caramagna, first released in February 2015.
• In India, the series began airing on March 8, 2019, on Marvel HQ, an Indian version of Disney XD.

Plot

The Guardians of the Galaxy are Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. In the first season, they come across the Spartaxian CryptoCube, an object linked to the Spartax species. Inside it is a map to the Cosmic Seed, a weapon that could create an entirely new universe. The team races to locate and destroy the Seed before it falls into the wrong hands. Season two opens with the Guardians joining forces with the Avengers to take on the High Evolutionary. After Thanos is defeated, the Guardians acquire a sarcophagus from his asteroid base, which Yondu had stolen. It hatches into Adam Warlock, and the Guardians persuade him to forge his own path. Star-Lord’s father, J’son—king of the Spartax and head of the Universal Believers—breaks out of prison and uses Nova Corps helmets to control Adam, turning him into the Magus. The Guardians free J’son from the Magus, returning him to normal. In season three, the Collector frames the Guardians, forcing them on the run. Phyla-Vell helps them save the Kree homeworld of Hala and stop the Collector, who escapes by blowing up his own ship. After passing through the Black Vortex, the Guardians find that the Darkhawks, created by Serpent, have taken over Nova Prime and the Galactic Council. Using the Dragonfang sword, they defeat Serpent and rescue the galaxy. This season also features a crossover with the Spider-Man TV series, bringing in Spider-Man, Max Modell, Venom, and Carnage, plus a guest appearance by Stan Lee.

Production

Before the Guardians of the Galaxy had their own show, they popped up in other animated series like Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man. Those appearances were basically a test to see if they could carry a series. In early 2014, Screen Rant reported that a Guardians show had been picked up for development. The official announcement came at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26, 2014, just a week before the live-action film hit theaters. Marvel Animation showed a trailer featuring Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord. After the movie became a hit, Marvel and Disney XD confirmed the series was a go at New York Comic Con, where they also screened some test footage. The show was slated for a 2015 debut as part of the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD. Sneak peeks started on August 1, 2015, with a full preview on September 5, and the hour-long premiere on September 26. Every episode takes its title from a popular song of the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s. At New York Comic Con 2015, the series got a second season order, which premiered on March 11, 2017.

Reception

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 7.00/10, based on 7 reviews for the first season. Blair Marnell of Nerdist called 'Road to Knowhere' a 'pretty solid introduction to the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series,' adding that if the series is to be a standalone franchise, it needs the animated series to continue until the next film in 2017. David Griffin of Screen Rant stated that the premiere delivers an 'exhilarating action-packed adventure,' noting that it remains to be seen if the action and storylines can stay strong throughout the season. Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club gave 'Knowhere to Run' a B+ and 'Road to Knowhere' a B−, writing that the two-part pilot is 'somewhat clunky and awkward, but brimming with potential' and that when it works, it makes the show worthwhile. Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the series a grade of seven out of ten, stating that the second episode improved on the first, with more screen time for Cosmo and a better focus on the group dynamic, though the show continues to frustrate in its similarity to the film. James Whitbrook of Gizmodo said the series 'has gone from disappointing to delightful.' Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series four out of five stars, noting positive messages and role models such as teamwork and altruism, and asserting that the story is 'violent but fun.'