On the last day of 2013, Disney has released a new official image and synopsis for the much-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy.  It looks like everyone is finally on board the film and the humanoid characters have taken their place in the line-up, stepping in for their two-dimensional concept art counterparts.  We also learn a bit more about the plot, which includes an almighty MacGuffin.

The film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, Peter Serafinowicz, and Benicio Del Toro.  Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1, 2014.  Hit the jump to check out the new image and read up on the official synopsis.

Synopsis:

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team - the Guardians of the Galaxy.  An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe.  To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits - Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer.  But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand - with the galaxy's fate in the balance.  Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" is presented by Marvel Studios. The film releases August 1, 2014, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Here's the previously released concept art, followed by the new official image with flesh-and-blood actors: