At long last, the first 'Guardians of the Galaxy' trailer is online, leaving behind Marvel's Earth- and Asgard-bound heroes in favor of an intergalactic band of misfits. We've already seen a few preview bits from the film through photos and 15 seconds of footage, but here's our first full look at Marvel's venture into space.

Described as a "space opera," 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is directed by James Gunn and features an unlikely cast -- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket Raccoon and Vin Diesel voicing Groot.

We've been talking about the glory of 'Guardians' since it was announced two years ago at San Diego Comic-Con, and this is by far Marvel's most ambitious effort yet in introducing audiences to an entire arsenal of characters who don't have the pre-existing clout of, say, Thor or Iron Man. But if this film can prove successful, it could potentially pave the way for more interesting concepts from Marvel down the road. (Did someone say, 'Runaways'?)

For those uninitiated into the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' mythos, here's the film's official plot description from Marvel:

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand–with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

There are a ton of villains to keep watch for in 'Guardians,' including Lee Pace's Ronan, Karen Gillan's Nebula, Benicio Del Toro's The Collector and perhaps even another appearance from Thanos, the big baddie teased in the 'Avengers' post-credits scene and one said to be the behind-the-scenes puppeteer pulling everyones' strings ... one can hope, anyway.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' will hit theaters August 1.

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