Jonathan Frakes, best known for his role as William Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," will guest star on "Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy," the animated series on Disney XD, voicing the role of J'Son, the king of the alien Spartax empire and estranged father of Peter Quill, the ignominious Star-Lord.

According to USA Today, which first reported the casting, Frakes is excited about the opportunity to again dip his toes in intergalactic waters. "I'm thrilled to be part of another great sci-fi franchise," he said, "And I'm also lucky that the character of J'Son just happens to sound like me!"

Frakes, part of the main vocal cast on the "Gargoyles" '90s cartoon, will appear on the Sunday, March 13 episode of "GoTG," in an adventure that sees Peter Quill stranded on Spartax, without the support of his misfit friends.

In the comics, and now the cartoon, the J'Son character is Quill's father, but "Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2" writer/director James Gunn has indicated that the big-screen adaptation may depart from the source material.

The identity of Papa Quill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been heavily speculated upon, with Gunn shooting down early rumors. One rumor that did gain traction, though, was that the director wanted Kurt Russell to play the father of Chris Pratt's Star-Lord: while Russell's part has not been named, the "Hateful Eight" star was recently officially announced as having joined the cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2," currently shooting in Atlanta, and opening May 5, 2017.

Whether Russell is playing someone from the source comics, or if Star-Lord's on-screen father is another character familiar to readers, remains unclear, but the casting of the actor and director Frakes indicates that Marvel remains vigilant and aware in its appeal for the loyalty of invested fans.