Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a $170 million film based on an obscure comic book that the majority of its audience will have never heard of, let alone read. That statement makes Guardians sound like an incredibly risky film and in many ways, it is. There was no guarantee that this movie would work, and Marvel took a big chance on their brand being recognizable enough to help sell the film to skeptical audiences. As is now abundantly clear, the gamble paid off. The film broke box office records for the month of August (which is traditionally the slowest month of the summer for ticket sales), received almost universal critical acclaim, and has a confirmed sequel on the way in 2017. What makes this success all the more significant is that Guardians of the Galaxy is the best movie of the summer. Here are 10 reasons why.
10. It’s (Basically) a New Franchise
The success of Guardians of the Galaxy can be largely attributed to its connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which to Disney/Marvel’s credit, has been made very clear in its advertising campaign. However, while GotG is linked to films like The Avengers and Iron Man, it is pretty much allowed to be its own thing. Guardians is an ensemble team-up movie in the same vein as The Avengers, yet its much more comedic tone distances itself from the rest of the Marvel movies. It also takes place in an area of the universe that is very distant from the stories of the other films, which means its characters are allowed to do their own thing. With the announcement that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be released in 2017, it’s clear that a new high-profile film franchise has been born.