Marvel Studios and Disney have released the first official still from one its next films, Guardians of the Galaxy. Unlike previous films, this movie will feature a team of superheros mostly unknown to the general public, so this first image is an introduction to the group.

Director James Gunn posted the image on his Twitter page. It doesn’t look to be from the final film, instead showing the five main characters standing in a line-up, giving the audience a good view. We can see Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. Two completely animated characters are shown as well - Rocket Racoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper, and Groot, a walking tree voiced by Vin Diesel.

According to CinemaBlend, Disney also issued the official synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy. It starts with Peter Quill (Star-Lord) unwittingly finding a mysterious orb wanted by the villain Ronan. He meets the other members of the group while trying to run from Ronan and their battle could have an impact on the entire universe.

The film opens on Aug. 1, 2014 and we will likely see a trailer before Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which opens in April. Other members of the Guardian cast includes Lee Pace as Ronan, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro and Glenn Close.

image: Wikimedia Commons