The hotly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy animated series is off to a running start with Marvel brass putting some of the fan concerns to rest. How will Guardians of the Galaxy's animated series connect with the film? The answer is, it won't. Their is no connection from the hit movie to the new Disney XD animated series set to debut in 2015.
Rumors were swirling that the new animated series would tie in with the film taking place somewhere between the first and second movie but director James Gunn has stepped up talking to SlashFilm.com.
“Is that what somebody said? Because that’s not true. There’s no way. It’s totally separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whoever said that, it pisses me off.”
It actually turns out that Marvel’s vice president of animation Stephen Wacker let slip to the New York Times that “that show’s plot would pick up where the movie left off.” However, it appears that some communication wires are crossed because Gunn is adamant that the film’s narrative and the animated series timeline are completely separate.
If you had asked industry pundits back in January what the number one movie of the year would be, it is doubtful any would have said Guardians of the Galaxy. It is hard to imagine that the Marvel B-listers have shot their way up the ranks and become the darling’s of the House of Ideas. It seems that Marvel Films’ Kevin Feige most definitely has the magic touch when betting on which properties are going to flourish. And we’re not just talking about the movies here, Marvel is using their muscle to vertically integrate their hottest franchises. From toys to apparel to the new cartoon, Marvel is milking the Guardians of the Galaxy buzz for all its worth.
No one knew that the catchphrase of the summer movie season would be “I am Groot” but it swept the nation and Marvel is continuing to run with the hottest super team in comics. It looks like they are just starting to reach the crest of the GOTG wave and their is still a lot of money to be squeezed out of Marvel’s new cash cow. On top of the recent announcement of the 2017 sequel to the blockbuster, the new animated series is headed for the Disney XD channel starting in 2015. Tying in with the highly anticipated cartoon, Marvel Comics is also launching a more kid-friendly comic book that skews younger than the current title. Top all of that with a Blu-Ray and DVD release date of December 9th to tie in with the holidays and the Guardians have had a banner year.
With fans gobbling up everything Guardians, it is another strong move by Marvel to strike while the iron is hot. The Disney XD animated series is slated to premiere in the first half of 2015 and will tie in nicely with the sixth, yes sixth, Guadians themed comic book that Marvel is churning out. Disney XD will add Guardians to their already Marvel heavy lineup Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers. The sequel to the film is not set for release until May 5th, 2017 but writer/director James Gunn is already hard at work on the hotly anticipated script. One thing is for certain, this has been James Gunn's year and with Galaxy being the runaway smash it has become, ticket sales for the sequel will be through the roof in summer 2017.
