Marvel announces 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel

Although it may seem somewhat precipitous, Marvel's announcement at Comic-Con of a "Guardians of the Galaxy" sequel is based on the largely positive response from the press to the movie's first screenings.

All signs points to a sure box office success, although we won't find out until the movie begins hitting theaters later this week.

In the first episode, Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Drax (Dave Bautista) attempt to thwart the evil Ronan's plans to destroy the galaxy.

For the sequel, rumors already indicate a possible meeting between the Guardians and the Avengers, an idea supported by pre-existing crossover between the two movies.

In "Guardians of the Galaxy," the protagonists bump into Thanos, a character who will also cause problems for the heroes in "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," which is due to hit theaters on May 1, 2015.

Another rumor suggests that the next "Avengers" movie will end with the Hulk being sent into space with none other than Thanos. Will he be found by the Guardians? We won't find out for sure until July 28, 2017, the release date announced by Marvel for the first sequel.

In the meantime, "Guardians of the Galaxy" is due for release in the US on August 1.