Everyone has been curious to know what would conclude Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and no one would have expected this. This isn’t the first time Marvel is experimenting with Christmas since the Hawkeye series was based around the holiday season. Nevertheless, this will be completely different from anything Marvel has attempted so far and we’re here to tell you why. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a television special that will premiere on Disney+ and is written and directed by none other than James Gunn.
For those who you aren’t aware of James Gunn and his work, he is a well-known name in both Marvel and DC, along with the Scooby-Doo franchise. Most importantly, he has been involved with all The Guardians of the Galaxy films, so it is safe to say, that if there’s anyone who can pull this Christmas special off, it is him. The concept of this television special will be interesting too and there will be a celebrity guest appearance which will be the focal point of this story. Although we don’t know everything about The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special just yet, we are here to tell you about everything we do know so far!
This holiday season is going to be out of this world.
— Guardians of the Galaxy (@Guardians) October 25, 2022
Watch the brand-new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, streaming November 25 only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/JtF60pK397
What Will The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Be About?
James Gunn confirmed in a tweet that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be an epilogue of Phase 4, which means that it will be canon and a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the special will release after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, we are unsure where exactly the events will place in the universe, but hopefully, there will be more clarity soon. As the title suggests, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will revolve around the Christmas season and all the guardians are determined to spend this earthly holiday together, however, Peter Quill isn’t having the time of his life and the others want to make him feel better.
The Guardians Holiday Special is the epilogue of Phase 4. 🎅👍 https://t.co/9mDfmn25tH
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 1, 2022
Peter Quill is still reeling from the loss of his love, Gamora. The guardians notice how upset Quill is and no one should be sad during the holiday season, right? So, all the guardians make their way to Earth to find Peter Quill the perfect Christmas present. It can’t be that hard, can it? Well, these are the guardians we are talking about, and nothing about them is simple or in one straight line. Instead of heading to the mall to buy Quill a present, they decide that his Christmas present will be a person instead, and none other than Kevin Bacon.
Why Is Kevin Bacon The Christmas Present In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?
While a lot of people have understood the Kevin Bacon reference, others are confused about why Kevin Bacon is the perfect Christmas present for Peter Quill. In order to understand this, you need to have watched the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, along with Avengers: Infinity War. In the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, Peter Quill mentions the movie Footloose, which was one of the last movies Peter Quill saw on Earth before he left. Footloose starred Kevin Bacon, who went on to become one of Peter Quill’s biggest heroes. In fact, Quill was convinced that Kevin Bacon is the greatest hero on Earth.
This was cross-referenced in Avengers: Infinity War, when Thor mentions the Avengers, and how they are the Earth’s mightiest heroes, Mantis intervenes, asking about Kevin Bacon as Quill had once mentioned he was the greatest hero. So, Kevin Bacon is canon in the MCU and so is the existence of the movie footloose. This is why, Kevin Bacon will not play a character in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and will just be playing himself.
The Cast of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
As we know already, the star of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be none other than Kevin Bacon. His role will be incredibly interesting, as he is playing the role of…himself, who is soon about to be abducted and presented as a Christmas gift for Star-Lord. Speaking of Star-Lord, Chris Pratt will be reprising his role as Star-Lord aka Peter Quill. Fans are more than thrilled that Pratt has decided to stick around for the holiday special and the Guardians film which will release in 2023. Other than Christ Pratt and Kevin Bacon, the other cast will include:
- Dave Baustista as Drax the Destroyer
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis
- Karen Gillan as Nebula
- Vin Diesel voicing Groot
- Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket
- Sean Gunn as Kraglin
Now, the one important person missing from the cast list is Zoe Saldana who plays the role of Gamora. Although the guardians also appeared in the most recent Thor film, Thor: Love and Thunder, the one person missing was Gamora. Fans have been concerned about her return to the MCU after the events of Avengers: Endgame. So, although she most likely won’t appear in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, we will be seeing her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, if you are missing Zoe Saldana, make sure you watch Avatar 2 and From Scratch, which will both be featuring Saldana this year!
However, we must keep in mind that Marvel is full surprises and cameos, so although Gamora is missing from the trailer, we might still catch a glimpse of her in the special, which will nudge us in the direction of her future in the MCU.
When and Where Can You Watch The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?
The wait for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special isn’t too long. Since it is a holiday special, it will be released around winter, but luckily, Marvel isn’t making us wait until Christmas day. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will release exactly a month before Christmas on the 25th of November, 2022. The special will be available to stream on Disney+. So, before you watch the holiday special, we recommend watching the Guardians of the Galaxy films along with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame, to get a refresher on the guardians, and why Kevin Bacon is important!
Is There a Trailer for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special official trailer dropped very recently and it is fresh in all our minds and hearts. The trailer screams Christmas spirit with a hint of kidnapping, but of course, it’s all playful, and it is all for Star-Lord. We even catch a glimpse of Kevin Bacon and the other characters that will appear in this film. It is only a matter of time before we can watch this entertaining special!
Also, for those thinking this is the first special that Marvel has released this year, you are wrong! Werewolf by Night was also released only a few weeks ago and was a raging success, so the guardians have certain expectations to live up to.
Conclusion
We are not ready for Phase 4 to end just yet, but what better way to conclude this amazing phase than with some uplifting Christmas spirit and a holiday special? Hopefully, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will give us some clues about what might happen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 which will release in 2023. So, keep your spirits high and join the guardians and Kevin Bacon this Christmas!
Deepti is a prolific content writer for OpenMediaHub who specializes in movies, tv shows, and web series, along with occasional reviews. Her interests lie in watching different genres and reading comics books, although her main passion is writing for as long as she remembers.
