Explaining Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Massive Relaunch Cast

The Marvel Universe is currently embroiled in a grand cosmic event called Infinity Wars, which has already seen the death of Thanos, battles on Earth for the ownership of the Infinity Stones, and perhaps most important of all, the disbanding of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Of course, we all know that this is comics, so nothing and no one stays dead for long. Such is the case for Marvel’s premier team of a-holes, as it’s now been announced that the Guardians of the Galaxy will be relaunching in 2019 under the care of the Thanos and God Country team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw. The announcement was accompanied by the hashtag #WhoAreTheGuardians, as well as a giant promo image with over 40 Marvel cosmic characters.

Looking at not only the new hashtag but the events of Infinity Wars, we can presume that the lineup of this new Guardians team is still up for debate, making it likely that anyone in this image could fill the new roster. While we may not be able to tell you for sure who will be on the new team come 2019, we can certainly break down the image and find out who it might be.

Starting over on the left, we have members of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. First introduced in X-Men comics in the late ‘70s, the Shi’ar have been a prominent fixture of the Marvel Cosmic Universe ever since. Standing proudly at the front is Gladiator, former Praetor of the Guard but now the Majestor of the Shi’ar Empire. To his right is Titan, a longtime member thought to have been killed during Thanos’ last invasion of Earth during the Infinity event. To his left is Magique. Next to her is Electron. Behind them is C’Cil, one of a pair of aliens -- along with B’Nee -- that make up Warstar. Behind them all appears to be Starbolt, and in the sky is Manta who, along with the others on this plateau, make up a fairly classic lineup of Imperial Guard.

Floating next to them all is Norrin Radd, more famously known as the Silver Surfer. For many years now, Surfer has been free of his enslavement as the Herald of Galactus, but most recently, in Infinity Countdown, the Surfer has once more joined Galactus’ side as part of a pact made with the Devourer to save the galaxy from the spread of Ultron.

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Below the Imperial Guard, we have some very famous faces, most notably Rocket Raccoon in the foreground and Groot behind him. An unlikely pairing, Rocket and Groot have gained mainstream appeal thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. In the comics, Groot has most recently gained the ability to say far more than his catchphrase “I am Groot,” thanks to the Gardener -- an Elder of the Universe -- restoring his body and mind to full health.

To Groot’s right we have Zak-Del, aka Wraith, not seen since Annihilation: Prologue. Behind him we have either Talonar, aka Robbie Rider, Nova’s brother, or Christopher Powell, better known as Darkhawk. Next to him, we have the Super Skrull, the shape-shifting menace with all the powers of the Fantastic Four. Over Groot’s other shoulder we have Yondu Udonta, member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy who appeared in the MCU played by Michael Rooker.

Behind this group are the Starjammers, a prominent team of space scoundrels that have mostly appeared in X-Men comics due to their leader, the enigmatic Corsair, being Cyclops’ father (he’s the one on Yondu’s left). The big green dude behind him is Ch’od, and then there’s Hepzibah and Raza on the end rounding out the team.

In the front and center of the image is a fascinating group made up of current and former Guardians. From left to right we have Gamora, the deadliest woman in the galaxy. She’s one of the reasons the Guardians have broken up, thanks to her unrelenting quest for the Soul Stone.

Next to her is Charlie-27, one of the original Guardians, former space militia pilot and soldier hailing from Jupiter. Hidden behind his left shoulder is Nicholette "Nikki" Gold, a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, hailing from the planet Mercury in the 31st Century. In the foreground in Peter Quill, the legendary Star-Lord and leader of the latest iteration of the Guardians. To his left is Lady Sybil of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, otherwise known as Oracle. Her prominence in this artwork, alongside Charlie-27 and Nikki Gold, is interesting, to say the least.

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Taking center stage in the image (as well as taking up the most room) is the Devourer of Worlds himself, Galactus. Up until recently, he was a reformed being. Going by the nickname of the Lifebringer, he was cured of his insatiable hunger for planets by the superhero team known as The Ultimates. In Infinity Countdown, however, he was forced to consume the planet Saiph in order to thwart the plans of Ultron/Hank Pym, who was launching rockets designed to infect the universe with the Ultron virus. This act of consuming Saiph returned Galactus to his status as the Devourer of Worlds.

Next to him is a relative newcomer: the Cosmic Ghost Rider. A creation of upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy writer Donny Cates in his Thanos series, the Cosmic Ghost Rider is the far-flung future version of Frank Castle, the Punisher. Through the centuries, we see Frank Castle bond with the Spirit of Vengeance, become a herald of Galactus and finally become King Thanos’ right-hand man before finding himself back in the modern day.

In the foreground on the right of the image is Cosmo, former Soviet cosmonaut and current psychic Security Chief of Knowhere. Behind him is Drax, Destroyer of Worlds. Behind him is Smasher, another member of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard and a human called Izzy Kane. In the middle of the group next to her is Adam Warlock, former keeper of the Soul Stone and prominent foe to Thanos. To his left is Eros, aka Starfox, the brother of Thanos. To Adam’s right is Moondragon, former Avenger and the sort-of daughter of Drax. Behind them all is Ronan the Accuser of the mighty Kree Empire. In front of them is Howard the Duck.

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The last group in the top right of this image is dominated by Beta Ray Bill in the center. Bill is a Korbinite granted the powers of Thor thanks to Odin’s gift of the Uru hammer Stormbreaker. Behind him are members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy -- Major Victory and Martinex. The character on the far left is Hussar, formerly of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, who wields a neuro whip channeling bioelectricity. To Bill’s left is an alternate universe version of Phyla-Vel, last seen in Infinity Countdown #4. Behind them all is Rich Rider, aka Nova, who has recently returned from his imprisonment in the Cancerverse and most recently fought to save the soul of his brother Robbie, who has been corrupted by the Fraternity of Raptors.

This a fairly comprehensive group of cosmic members, friends and foes of the Guardians, spanning nearly 60 years of comics. There are some interesting omissions, such as Quasar, for example, but there is also a hidden figure to the left of Wraith that’s significantly cut off in the image. Whether all of these characters or only some of them will make the cut and fill the new roster remains to be seen, but we’ll all have to wait for the Guardians of the Galaxy relaunch in 2019 to find out.