‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trends on social media following new Space Force name

“Guardians of the Galaxy” trended on social media Friday night after Vice President Pence announced that U.S. Space Force members will be called “guardians.”

In pursuit of the perfect name for members of the new military branch, the United States Space Force evaluated “hundreds of submissions” made by both professional researchers and the general public.

Today, after a yearlong process that produced hundreds of submissions and research involving space professionals and members of the general public, we can finally share with you the name by which we will be known: Guardians. pic.twitter.com/Tmlff4LKW6

— United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) December 18, 2020

A yearlong search yielded a name that many said was very similar to the 2014 hit Marvel movie starring Chris Pratt, including the movie’s director, James Gunn.

Can we sue this dork? https://t.co/9skZ8aG446

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2020

Actor Clark Gregg from “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a Marvel TV show, also commented.

My pet raccoon just got a draft notice. WTF

— Clark Gregg (@clarkgregg) December 18, 2020

The US Space Force spent “over a year” and a “research involving space professionals” to come up with this: pic.twitter.com/AIyUwWxVd7

— William LeGate (@williamlegate) December 18, 2020

Hundreds of submissions and one screening of Guardians of the Galaxy at the White House.

— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) December 18, 2020

The Palmer Report pointed out the similarity between the Space Force’s logo and the Star Trek logo.

So now Trump’s Space Force has stolen its logo from Star Trek and its naming conventions from Guardians of the Galaxy.

— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) December 18, 2020

Star Trek veteran George Takei also weighed in.

So…does that mean with the new Galactic Federation, Spaceforce will be…Guardians of the Galaxy?! https://t.co/VcNeARoq4a

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 19, 2020

Reporter Max Boot wondered if talking raccoons, one of the popular characters from the film voiced by Bradley Cooper, would be utilized by the Space Force as well.

You mean like “Guardians of the Galaxy”? Are they going to enlist talking racoons?? https://t.co/jSljlIRiO6

— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) December 18, 2020

The “Guardians of the Galaxy” Twitter account responded to the viral announcement, writing, “Who, us?”

Who, us?

— GuardiansOfTheGalaxy (@Guardians) December 19, 2020

The Space Force was created by President Trump in 2019 as the sixth branch of the military, aimed at protecting the United States’s assets in space from foreign governments.