Guardians of the Galaxy (retroactively referred to as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1)[4][5] is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by James Gunn, who wrote the screenplay with Nicole Perlman, it features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper as the titular Guardians, along with Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro. In the film, Peter Quill and a group of extraterrestrial criminals go on the run after stealing a powerful artifact.
Guardians of the Galaxy premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on July 21, 2014, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 1 as part of Phase Two of the MCU. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $773.3 million worldwide and became the third-highest-grossing film of 2014. It was praised for its screenplay, direction, acting, humor, soundtrack, visual effects and action sequences.
