Guardians of the Galaxy is easily the riskiest superhero film Marvel Studios has released so far. It’s based on a relatively unknown franchise and is more space fantasy than traditional superhero film. But judging from the almost unanimously glowing reviews and the projected box office gross, it looks like this is a risk that will pay off handsomely for Marvel. So much so that they’ve already announced a sequel and an animated series. This success has bigger and more far-reaching consequences for Marvel than the simple fact that Uncle Scrooge will now have an extra few feet of gold coins in his enormous vault. This one movie could have a significant impact on how Marvel makes use of its vast lineup of characters both in Hollywood and in their comics.

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