The transmission has been received, and though the latest news about Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t the new trailer some fans were holding out hope for — c’mon, gang, we haven’t even got a new Thor trailer yet — the newest announcement is still packed with thrills. Disney’s latest EPCOT feature will be a GOTG-themed coaster ride, and it’s opening on May 27!
Disney first released the news — that fans could expect some big news about the MCU franchise this week —on April 1. Given the auspicious date, many suspected some James Gunn April Fools’ shenaniganizing, but it seems the tease was legit, and though if it didn’t end up being a brand new MCU trailer, fans still got to see the team in action, of sorts, for the first time since Avengers: Endgame, in a brand new teaser for the upcoming Disney park attraction.
Cosmic Rewind will be the first-ever theme ride at EPCOT to deal with another planet. Although EPCOT is dominated by the familiar geodesic structure known as Spaceship Earth, GOTG: Cosmic Rewind is the first time the park has used an “off-world” themed attraction.
The trailer begins with a distress signal from the planet Xandar, home of the Nova Corps, stating, “This is an SOS from Nova Corps … Our outpost on Earth’s EPCOT is in danger!” The Guardians receive the signal — well, Groot does, to be precise — and, although Peter Quill appears to be “resting his eyes,” Rocket Raccoon sets a new course for the ship to respond.
“It’s save the galaxy time, again,” says Rocket, as he punches out alongside an array of “Starjumper” vehicles — the same cars visitors will ride in to experience the attraction — over the strains of the Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster,” a shout out to the supreme hits of the ’70s that score the franchise’s first two films.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a family-themed coaster ride that, according to Marvel.com, “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.”
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open at EPCOT on May 27.
