The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be released on Disney+ very soon, and fans can’t wait to see Mantis and Drax kidnap Kevin Bacon and Yondu return from the dead. However, even a Marvel Cinematic Universe release as small as a one-off 40-minute Christmas comedy has fans speculating to no end about who it could introduce and where it sits in the universe at large.
Writer/director James Gunn knows these characters better than anyone, and he’s been known to use the most obscure characters in his Guardians sandbox, so anything’s possible. Between Santa showing up, introducing the Annihilators, and a Kevin Bacon-led song and dance number, Redditors are expecting a lot from the special.
Santa Will Show Up
Sable-King thinks that Santa Claus will appear in the special, noting, “I mean, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Santa actually showing up, especially since they’ve already started revealing the existence of mutants in the MCU.” While that might seem ridiculous to casual fans, it isn’t actually as weird as it sounds.
Santa is a character in Marvel comics, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for Gunn to use the character. Gunn knows obscure comic book characters better than any other filmmaker working in the MCU today, and what better project would there be to introduce Santa than a holiday special? Not only that, but in the comics, Santa is a mutant, and given the endless questions currently surrounding the franchise about who is and who isn’t a mutant, there’s no better time than now.
There’ll Be A Home Alone Homage
Magicalmysteryharold thinks there’ll be a reference to a certain holiday classic in the special. The Redditor asks, “What are the odds we get a Home Alone homage during the kidnapping?” Given that it’s a Christmas special, there’ll undoubtedly be tons of references to classic movies, and Home Alone makes the most sense, as the trailer depicts Mantis and Drax invading Kevin Bacon’s home.
Kevin could set up traps to keep the aliens away, and the reference would especially make sense given that he shares the same first name with the McCallister troublemaker. In fact, Gunn would make a great Home Alone movie, as he has such a unique sense of humor with his black comedies, and he’s well-versed in horror with movies like Slither, too. Gunn would write and direct an amazing comedy horror Home Alone film.
It’s The Light Before The Dark
ShowNext445 interestingly believes that the Guardians Holiday Special is being served to fans before the crushing devastation that will be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Redditor asks, “Does anyone else get the impression that the holiday special is the ‘light’ before the ‘dark’? The ‘dark’ referring to Vol. 3.”
Though Vol. 2 has a tear-jerkingly sad ending with the death of Yondu, it’s unlikely that Gunn will have written are similarly sad ending for the threequel. Vol. 3 will be the conclusion to the Guardians trilogy, and it isn’t exactly Marvel Studios’ MO to end things so hopelessly (with the one exclusion being Infinity War). The movie will probably see Peter Quill reunite with his grandparents and maybe end up with Gamora.
There Are Two Groots
One thing that fans were confused by when watching the trailer was Groot’s new form, and that has inspired several fan theories alone. The anthropomorphic tree is buff, almost as if he’s been spending all his time on the bench press, which is drastically different from when fans last saw him as a grumpy teenager.
But BaltyHawk thinks they know why, noting, “Glad they are going with a completely different look from the first Groot. Solidifies that they are two different Groots.” Of all the theories surrounding Groot, this is the least likely, but given that this is the Multiverse Saga, after all, anything’s possible.
It Takes Place Years After Love And Thunder
Based on the fact that Groot has bulked up, Ambivert_05 thinks there has been another time jump in the universe. The Redditor notes, “It signifies that it is taking place long after Love and Thunder, after a couple of years maybe.” While still unlikely, this theory is much more likely than that it could be an entirely different Groot.
The MCU has been known to time jump before, most notably in Avengers: Endgame when it cuts forward five years, so the Guardians Holiday Special could be set two years in the future. However, given that the MCU is technically set five years in the future now, skipping ahead another two years might create some huge continuity errors in the franchise down the line.
Peter And Mantis Are Cousins
The possibility that Mantis and Peter are cousins is a popular theory among fans, and AJ_CC thinks there’s going to be a huge familial reveal in the upcoming special. The Redditor posits, “Between this and L&T seems like Mantis and Peter are becoming a lot closer, wonder if that lends credence to the theory that they’re siblings.”
The screen time the Guardians had in the latest Thor movie was mostly spent on these two characters, which might not be a coincidence. However, not everybody has to be related, and this reveal could risk drastically shrinking the universe, something that fans think the Star Wars franchise has become guilty of in recent years.
Why Drax Is Wearing Shirts
Platonicgryphon interestingly has a theory that isn’t related to the universe, but they look at what’s going on in the trailer from a production standpoint. The Redditor suggests, “I see that Drax is wearing shirts probably to lower some costuming costs.” When characters have a lot of tattoos are scars on their body, they’re often seen wearing long-sleeved tops and other clothes that will cover those areas of the actor’s bodies.
This means that they don’t have to spend hours in the make-up chair, saving time and money. The user thinks this is why Drax doesn’t have his upper body on show, which has become something of a trademark. Given that a one-of Disney+ special certainly doesn’t have the same budget as the movies, the user could be right.
The Annihilators Will Form
VideoZelousideal976 thinks that the Annihilators will form at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and while that’s more of a Vol. 3 theory, it has led the Redditor to speculate over how much of that will be set up in the holiday special. The Redditor notes, “Hopefully, we get an Annihlus teaser for a post-credits scene because that would make me scream so damn loud if it happened.”
The Annihilators are connected to Guardians in many ways, as Cosmo the Space Dog is part of the intergalactic team, which also includes the Silver Surfer. The user might be on to something, as Gunn has said that the holiday special is essential viewing before seeing Guardians Vol. 3 (via Game Rant).
It Takes Place Before Ms. Marvel
Though many believe it takes place years after Love and Thunder, RaveniteGaming makes a good argument that it actually takes place before Ms. Marvel. The Redditor explains, “If this takes place before Ms. Marvel it explains how everyone knows who the Guardians are.”
In the Disney+ series, there was Guardians of the Galaxy merch spotted, but there isn’t actually any way anybody could know who the Guardians are, at least not in the same capacity that the public knows who Captain America and Iron Man are. But given that the Guardians are now on Earth in the special and not trying to hide the fact that they’re there, it might lead to a huge public revealing.
There’ll Be A Song And Dance Number
Lumberzach316 is under the impression that there’ll be a song and dance number in the special. Given that Peter is obsessed with both 80s music and the Kevin Bacon-starring Footloose, the Redditor simply states, “Oh there absolutely will be.”
Mantis and Drax kidnap Kevin as a Christmas gift to Peter in the special, so once Kevin gets over the initial alien invasion, it’s possible that he could cut a rug with Peter. Star-Lord has already had a dance-off with Ronan, but that was hopefully just practice for the real dance-off with the Tremors actor. If there isn’t, it’ll be such a wasted opportunity.
