Disney and Marvel Studios should be forever grateful to James Gunn for what he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Prior to 2014, only hardcore comics fans had even heard of the team, but now they’re one of Marvel’s most popular IPs, have spawned a billion-dollar movie series, and a massive merchandising empire.
This has extended into Disney’s parks. In 2017, the company opened Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney California Adventure Park, boasting all-new footage from Gunn and the cast.
That seems to have been a sizeable hit, as they’ve just released details of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which will open soon at Disney World’s Epcot. Billed as a “storytelling roller coaster”, Marvel.com has just published a feature revealing some of the story.
At the core will be the Celestial Eson, a former wielder of the Power Stone who wants “to right a wrong in a big way” and needs the help of everyone’s favorite space oddballs. Disney promises that his first appearance will “startle” guests, and goes on to describe the ride itself as:
“A “story coaster” that will amaze guests as it rotates 360 degrees throughout the attraction so the focus is always on the action, and additionally will feature a reverse launch on a coaster, never before seen in Disney Parks. It is also one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world, which means it lives up to and matches the enormous scale of adventures of the Guardians of the Galaxy films!”
This ride will be just one part of a major hot streak for the team. They’ll first appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, star in Disney Plus one-off The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and then, in a year’s time, the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Given that everyone who’s read Gunn’s script came away in tears, this could be their final hurrah, so let’s hope he nails it.