It may seem hard to remember, but just a few years ago, Guardians of the Galaxy was still considered a fairly obscure property. The comic has changed its line-up over the years, but the basic concept of an intergalatic version of the Avengers has remained since the team was first introduced in 1969's Marvel Super-Heroes #18. In 2008, however, Dan Abnett and Andy Landing rebooted the team to include Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Rocket, and a number of cosmic-powered characters. While heroes like Adam Warlock and Moondragon have yet to appear on screen, the other five members of the team have become some of Marvel's most popular characters thanks to the 2014 live-action film.

Based on the success of the movie, Marvel started churning out Guardians merchandise and comics, putting a particular emphasis on Rocket and Groot. They also tweaked the versions of the characters that already existed in their shared animated universe on Disney XD, when they turned the events of the live-action film into an animated TV series. While not tied into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the animated Guardians TV show still jumps off from the general idea of the movie. Its first season proved to be a big hit for Disney and Marvel, and now season 2 is just around the corner.

Marvel have announced today that the new season of the series will debut on March 11th at 9 p.m., with a two-part premiere. The episode will see the Guardians head to Earth, where they'll have to team up with the Avengers to take on a threat to the planet. You can check out the first official still from the premiere below, courtesy of Marvel:

Guardians of the Galaxy Animted Series Season 2 with the Avengers

Like they did prior to the first season, Marvel will be releasing a series of six shorts showcasing the various members of the team. They'll be available on the Disney XD app, as well as their YouTube channel. The team-up between the Guardians, Captains America and Marvel, and the other Avengers will be an exciting preview of the team-ups we'll get to see when Avengers: Infinity War debuts next year. And before that, we'll be seeing the returrn of the group in live-action in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

News has continued pouring out about the live-action Guardians sequel, with word that a full trailer is coming soon. We've also learned a bit more about Star-Lord and Ego's relationship, and got our first look at Peter and Drax in the film. On top of that, Marvel and Hasbro have created a new batch of toys based on the comic and movie characters, and Telltale will be creating a game based on the heroes. All in all, it's a good time to be a Guardians fan.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy season 2 premieres Saturday, March 11th at 9 p.m. on Disney XD

Source: Marvel