This 4-Season Cult Sci‑Fi Show Made 'Guardians of the Galaxy' 15 Years Earlier

Farscape ran for four seasons between 1999 and 2003, then returned for a two-part miniseries called The Peacekeeper Wars in 2004. Despite its quality, the show remained a cult classic rather than breaking into mainstream fame. The premise— a ragtag band of misfits who escape incarceration and must work together—reads like an earlier version of the Guardians setup.

A human leader finds himself far from home and keeps making pop-culture references his alien crewmates don’t get. The ensemble also includes a defected love interest, a diminutive loudmouth with a secret heart of gold, a sentient plant and a heavily tattooed warrior with a traumatic family history.

James Gunn has openly cited Farscape as an influence, writing on Instagram, "One of my favorite sci-fi shows of all time was Farscape." Ben Browder appears in the second Guardians movie as a meta tribute, and he has said Gunn "stole [Browder's] show," later praising the film after a playful confrontation at the Saturn Awards.

farscape, guardians movie, james gunn, ben browder, peacekeeper wars, cult sci-fi, miniseries, sentient plant, ragtag band, saturn awards