Guardians of the Galaxy
Film · 2014 · 122 minutes · Phase Two
In 1988, young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth just after his mother's death; twenty-six years later he is a scavenger known as Star-Lord who steals a mysterious orb from the planet Morag. Pursued by the fanatical Kree zealot Ronan the Accuser and the bounty hunters Gamora, Rocket, and Groot, Quill is thrown together with them and the vengeful Drax in the Kyln prison, and the unlikely group agrees to sell the orb for profit. When Ronan's plan to use the orb — which contains an Infinity Stone — to destroy the peaceful planet Xandar becomes clear, the five outcasts instead band together as the "Guardians of the Galaxy" to stop him, defeating Ronan and leaving the Stone with the Nova Corps for safekeeping.
Leads to
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2direct-sequel — Direct continuation of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, following the same team shortly after the events of that story.
- Avengers: Endgamecrossover · optional — During the time heist, War Machine and Nebula travel to an alternate 2014 Morag to ambush Star-Lord and steal the Power Stone, revisiting that film's opening setting and beat.
- What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? — S01E02timeline-branch — Diverges from Guardians of the Galaxy's premise: Yondu abducts young T'Challa from Wakanda in 1988 instead of Peter Quill from Earth, reworking that film's origin story around a different hero.