The Guardians of the Galaxy have always been a bit of an anomaly in the world of comics, even among most Marvel enthusiasts. And so it’s no surprise that when Marvel announced plans to replace the beloved California Adventure ride Tower of Terror with a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, the internet reacted in the way that the internet usually reacts when it feels that its childhood is being plundered. There are petitions with a few thousand signatures requesting this and that, angry tweets about the world crashing and burning, and (once again) occasional uses of the word blasphemy (the Internet keeps using that word…I don’t think it means what the internet thinks it means).
Let’s begin by taking a sigh of relief over the knowledge that the ride itself is not going anywhere. It is simply being remodeled with a new theme, dealing with a subject that is more relevant for our time. And although I always found the creepy Twilight Zone theme to be endearing, I am also a huge fan of Guardians of the Galaxy. I’ve seen a number of articles, tweets, comments and status updates declaring their disappointment over the decision. Although I understand where they come from, my aim is to consider this bit of news from the Guardians of the Galaxy point of view.
The guardians were propelled to fame thanks to the successful 2014 film produced by Marvel as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). For anyone wondering, the MCU is a shared universe in which various characters coexist and are able to cross over. The MCU was crafted to resemble the Marvel comics universe and requires some complicated deals and contracts that extend to TV shows (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and Netflix (Daredevil, Jessica Jones) for more information on that, click here. The guardians are occasionally referred to as space avengers, and the film is used to introduce and explore the extensive cosmic side of the Marvel universe.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a film striving against the odds from the beginning. How the hell do you pitch a movie about a band of odd space misfits that include a pissed-off raccoon with guns and a Vin Diesel-voiced tree who can only speak one line? the whole formula sounded like a train wreck, even to some of us who had read a comic or two. Fortunately, Marvel is well versed in pushing vaguely-known heroes to the forefront, most notably with Ironman , Thor, and Jessica Jones. And they have no intention of slowing down, with Doctor Strange, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist lined up next. The guardians are a team of unique, eccentric losers who band together because, as you may have guessed, they have nowhere to fit in. On the surface, the characters may seem silly, but anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will likely find solace in these characters, which is part of what Marvel does best. One example that made its way out of Tumblr in into the collective heart of social media was the story below, which made headlines shortly after the film was released.
Marvel’s efforts paid off (as they usually do) under the guidance of writer/director James Gunn. Disney’s next move is to bring more Marvel rides to Disneyland, an idea that they’ve been pursuing since they brought actors to stand around in Marvel uniforms while listening to screaming babies and convincing the world that they enjoy taking 100 photos a day in the scorching LA heat. The new ride will feature the guardians being captured by a collector of artifacts and specimen, while the audience joins Rocket Racoon on the great rescue from the collector’s compound. Some concept art released by Disney can be seen below.
Guardians of the Galaxy are a smart choice for introducing the Marvel universe to Disney-goers, since they’re currently still in the process of building their well-deserved recognition through the movie and its upcoming sequel, and with a cartoon show currently running as well. It’ll be sad for the Twilight Zone’s theme to disappear, but Disney has offered one final act of consolation: during Disneyland’s Halloween celebration, the lights in the Tower will go down and people will get to experience the plunge in the dark. So if you happen to be a huge fan of falling long distances while in pitch blackness, the clock is ticking. the ride will close for good on Jan 2, 2017, to begin the renovation process. In the meantime, we’ll just be here rockin’ out like Baby Groot.
By: Michael Gonzalez.