Guardians of the Galaxy was easily this year’s most surprising hit. No one (not even Marvel, really) expected it to be quite as big as it was. This is probably why it’s taken Marvel so long to fully cash in on that success. But that wait might be worth it.
First off is the news many of you have been dying to hear. There will be a dancing baby Groot toy that actually dances. And yes, it will be out in time for the holidays.
He’ll run $14.99 and play the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” from a speaker built into his flower pot.
In TV news, rumors had been swirling for months that Marvel would launch a Guardians animated series as part of their Marvel Universe block on Disney XD. Those rumors seemed to be confirmed when the show was announced at San Diego Comic Con this summer, but then they were quickly shot down by Marvel’s VP of Animation, Steve Wacker.
About that…
That’s the trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series announced again this weekend and set to debut on Disney XD next year. Wacker now says the show will follow on from the events of the film and that Thanos will play a major role.
It’s safe to assume that this won’t be a Dreamworks’ Dragons situation where the animated series is canon to the films. It’ll almost definitely be like the rest of Marvel’s TV line, where if you squint really really hard you can kinda sorta see it squeezing into the MCU.
I saved the most interesting news for last though. Nicole Perlman, writer of the GotG film will pen an ongoing Gamora solo comic. No artist has yet been announced for the series, set to debut in the spring of 2015.
Francesco Mattina
Despite what James Gunn might say, Perlman (even after very heavy script revisions) is responsible for many of the film’s defining characteristics and moments. Turning Star-Lord into a rakish smuggler? Her idea. Groot’s phosphorescent spores and cocoon? Her ideas.
It’s exciting to think about what she’ll be able to do with fewer cooks in the kitchen.
