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Tag: Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

  • ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Easter Egg is a Nod to One of Marvel’s Most Important Crew Members

    ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Easter Egg is a Nod to One of Marvel’s Most Important Crew Members

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special finds the Guardians recovering from their adventures with Thor and preparing for the unknown from their new base of operations, Knowhere. While the special spends a portion of the runtime inside the severed head of a Celestial, the bulk of the action takes place on Earth where Mantis and Drax head to give Peter the best Christmas present ever: Kevin Bacon. During the botched abduction of Bacon, the pair had an encounter with the police and director James Gunn used that scene as an opportunity to sneak in a reference to one of Marvel Studios’ longest-serving and most important crew members.

    As seen in the credits, one of the officers who had the misfortune of crossing paths with Mantis and Drax is Officer R. Bobbitt. Though it’s not been confirmed by Marvel Studios, the Officer is almost certainly named for longtime Marvel Studios Property Master, Russell Bobbitt. Few people outside of Kevin Feige and Casting Director Sarah Finn have worked on as many MCU projects as Bobbitt. Bobbitt first served as the Property Master in 2008 for Iron Man and has worked on a total of 20 MCU projects to date, from the Agent Carter One-Shot, to streaming series such as WandaVision and Loki and the Werewolf By Night Special Presentation. In addition, Bobbitt has made his way on screen in a few projects.

    As Property Master, Bobbitt oversees the creation and acquisition of the props used in each MCU project. Bobbitt’s MCU designs include Captain America’s shield, Mjolnir and the Infinity Gauntlet. Bobbitt is set to serve as Property Master on 3 upcoming MCU projects: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Blade, running his total number of MCU projects up to an impressive 23. Given the work he’s done on the Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it was incredibly cool of Gunn to give Bobbitt a nod in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

  • Maria Bakalova’s Voice Role Confirmed in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    Maria Bakalova’s Voice Role Confirmed in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special saw the roster of the Guardians grow by one as Cosmo the Spacedog joined the ranks of the team. After appearing briefly in Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmo is now a more fully realized character complete with her comic-accurate powers of telekinesis and telepathy. Being a telepathic Soviet spacedog means that someone was going to be brought on to voice the character and as reported during SDCC, that someone is Maria Bakalova.

    Bakalova was reported to have joined the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in June of 2022. After to rising to fame in her role as Tutar Sagdiyev in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Bakalova has found herself increasingly busy. While she doesn’t hold down a major role in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, it’s possible that Cosmo will find herself a key player in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and could play a role in assembling a new version of the team should her arc follow that of her comic book counterpart. If that’s the case, Bakalova could become an MCU mainstay in the way that Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel have as voice actors for Rocket and Groot, respectively.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney Plus and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023.

  • The Origin of Star-Lord’s Quad Blasters Revealed in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    The Origin of Star-Lord’s Quad Blasters Revealed in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’

    The premise of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special revolves around Mantis and Drax trying to give Peter a great Christmas. Not only do they want to bring him out of his funk over the loss of Gamora, but they also hope to help Peter recapture the magic of Christmas after hearing a story from Kraglin about how Yondu ruined the holiday for Star-Lord.

    Told in an animated flashback featuring Michael Rooker’s return as the voice of Yondu, Kraglin’s story shows a young Peter setting up a Christmas tree with Kraglin and setting out presents for their fellow Ravagers. A grumpy Yondu puts and end to the Christmas cheer by stomping on the Christmas tree, throwing away the presents and exclaiming that he hates Christmas. Kraglin believes that event ruined Christmas for Peter and it’s his story and hope to cheer Peter up with a great Christmas that sends Mantis and Drax on their well-intentioned-if-not-entirely-illegal trip to kidnap Kevin Bacon.

    Not only are Mantis and Drax successful on their mission to bring Bacon to Knowhere, but the rest of the Guardians also chip in to make Christmas memorable for Peter. During his conversation with Mantis, who is revealed to be Peter’s sister, Peter explains that there’s part of that story of Christmas past that Kraglin didn’t know. Peter goes on to reveal that Yondu later changed his tune and not only kept Peter’s present (one of the little figures he liked to keep on his console) but also gifted Peter with the Quad Blasters that he’s carried with him ever since. While there was certainly no need to tell the story of how Peter came into possession of his weapons, having them be a gift from Yondu only adds to the emotional connection that Peter and the audience already have with the character.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Sees a New Member Join the Core Team

    ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Sees a New Member Join the Core Team

    While James Gunn made it clear that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special wasn’t going to introduce any major new character to the MCU, he didn’t say that the team wouldn’t experience a few changes. It turns out that the special, set between Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, finds the team not only moving into a new base of operations but also adding one to their number. True to his word, Gunn didn’t introduce a new character but rather brought one on board who hasn’t been seen for nearly a decade.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special reveals that Cosmo, a labrador that was part of the Soviet space program who was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy, is now working with the Guardians. Last seen with Howard the Duck and The Collector in the post-credit scene to the 2014 film, Cosmo appears early on in the special, working with Rocket on cleaning up Knowhere. Those unfamiliar with the comics may have been shocked to find out that Cosmo is no ordinary space dog.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special immediately establishes a pretty comic-accurate Cosmo by putting her two primary abilities on full display. While working with Rocket, Cosmo uses her telekinesis to lift a pair of panels up to begin repairing a building. After being insulted by Rocket, she drops the panels and speaks to Rocket using her telepathy. In the comics, Cosmo’s DNA was mutated after being exposed to cosmic rays during a failed test launch.

    The comics established Cosmo as an incredibly powerful telepath, able to read and manipulate the minds of others and reach out over long distances. Adding Cosmo to the team now is of note as it was Cosmo who formed a new team of Cosmic defenders, The Annihilators, after the dissolution of the Guardians and the death of Star-Lord. Though no plans have been revealed for what comes next for the members of the Guardians who come out on the other side of the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’s possible the Cosmo could play a similar role in assembling the next iteration of the team.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Establishes a New Base for the Team

    ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Establishes a New Base for the Team

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special isn’t exactly essential viewing for those trying to follow the ongoing narrative of the Guardians in the MCU, but it does sprinkle in a few key changes to be aware of ahead of next May’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Although the bulk of the special follows Mantis and Drax as they head to Earth, it’s bookends take place in a familiar setting from Guardians of the Galaxy that’s now become their base of operations!

    Following the special’s animated opening sequence, Nebula reveals that the Guardians now own Knowhere after having bought it from Taneleer Tivan. Knowhere, the severed head of a Celestial floating about in space, was a key location in Guardians of the Galaxy and was visited again by Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax and Mantis in Avengers: Infinity War. Tivan had put up shop on Knowhere hundreds of years prior to the Guardians’ first visit and set up a mining operation to extract the valuable organic matter that remained inside the Celestial’s head. Tivan, also known as The Collector, also kept his museum of oddities on Knowhere where he stored the Infinity Stone known as the Aether/Reality Stone and where the Soviet space dog Cosmo was kept until being freed following the explosion of the Power Stone.

    During the events of the special, it’s clear that the Guardians have only recently taken ownership of Knowhere and are in the process of cleaning it up following the exit of the Tivan Group. The move to Knowhere puts the Guardians in an interesting location headed into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning introduced Knowhere in 2007’s Nova #8 and it became an important location for both Richard Rider and the Guardians following the events of Annihilation: Conquest. Later, Knowhere became the base of operations for the Annihilators, a team of “cosmic heavy hitters” assembled by Cosmo following the dissolution of the Guardians and the death of Peter Quill.

    Director James Gunn has made it clear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the end of the road for the current iteration of the team, but with them preparing to operate out of Knowhere and Cosmo joining the squad and displaying her telepathic powers in the special, it’s possible that a version of the Annihilators could be making its way into the MCU. The original comic book Annihilators consisted of Silver Surfer, Ikon, Ronan the Accuser, Beta Ray Bill, Gladiator and Quasar, so it’s hard to imagine any MCU version of the team being too similar; however, their first mission found them taking on the Cosmic powerhouse Blastaar, a character whose live-action rights were acquired by Marvel Studios when Disney acquired Fox in 2019. Given the knowledge that Nova is headed to the MCU soon, it seems likely that Knowhere could be propped up as a major Cosmic location as Marvel Studios finally expands that corner of its universe.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is streaming now on Disney Plus.

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Director Shares BTS Image Teasing the Holiday Special

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Director Shares BTS Image Teasing the Holiday Special

    Guardians of the Galaxy are back! They are set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a big way. We have the third, and likely final, installment of the current roster of characters and a Holiday Special just around the corner. James Gunn is back in the director’s chair before taking on his duties as head of DC Studios and focusing more on another cinematic universe.

    While he has already signed on for the new job, he is still going to be busy preparing and marketing the upcoming Marvel release. As such, he has taken to his personal Twitter account to share a BTS image of him with his brother Sean Gunn as Kraglin and Kevin Bacon, who is making his MCU debut in the upcoming Holiday Special.

    Surprisingly, the trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has been quite revealing, as it gave away the storyline of Drax and Mantis going to Earth to kidnap Star-Lord’s personal hero, Kevin Bacon. For the first time, an actor is set to play themselves in the universe and it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle his character, especially with the wacky interactions that are teased in the trailer.

    It’ll be Marvel Studios’ second holiday special but the first that is specifically marketed as such. Werewolf by Night was technically for the Halloween season and had the fitting atmosphere for it, but it doesn’t hold that title with “Halloween Special” added. So, we’ll see how Gunn combines his usual sense of humor with the holiday spirit.

    Source: Twitter

  • THEORY: ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ is James Gunn’s Drax/Mantis Spin-Off

    THEORY: ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ is James Gunn’s Drax/Mantis Spin-Off

    In 2020, before the onslaught of Marvel Studios’ fourth Phase truly began, the idea of minor side characters getting their own spin-offs was still a little absurd. Major supporting players had already been confirmed for semi-solo projects on Disney+ – mostly paired with related names – in the form of series like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but there had yet to be any announcements for shows like Agatha: Coven of Chaos that would indicate just how loose Marvel was willing to play it. This is why, at the time, it seemed like such a longshot when Dave Bautista revealed James Gunn had pitched a Guardians of the Galaxy spin-off film starring Drax and Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis to Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel.

    Speaking with Collider in support of his movie My Spy, the former wrestler stated that he was interested in teaming with Gunn and Klementieff for a side project on top of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His character and Klementieff‘s shared a surprising chemistry when they met in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Bautista felt Gunn was correct in wanting to mine that relationship for more gold. The revelation came after the actor was asked if he’d be willing to star in his own Disney+ series:

    I wouldn’t do a series because Drax as a series would be really rough with the make-up and everything, it would just be too tough. What I would like to do is, honestly, and this is not my idea, I’m stealing this idea, James Gunn had the idea to do a Drax/Mantis movie, and that’s what I’d be up for because there’s just too much fun there.

    Dave Bautista, in March of 2020

    Not long after, Gunn took to his Twitter account to confirm the pitch actually happened. Not only that, the director stated his concept had still not been officially ruled out by the Marvel brass, as many outlets had assumed:

    True. But this was never ruled out. I still think it could be amazing.

    James Gunn, in March of 2020

    For a year following the news, not much was heard in the way of Drax and Mantis movie. However, there was movement on an entirely different Guardians of the Galaxy spin-off. At the 2020 Disney Investor’s Day presentation, only nine months after Bautista and Gunn had voiced their Drax-based desires, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was unveiled. Marvel pulled the curtain back on a short film, a new type of project they would later dub a ‘Special Presentation,’ that would be written and directed by Gunn for a holiday release, with Bautista, Klementieff, and the rest of the Guardians line-up returning for more intergalactic antics.

    The mini-movie seemed to be a completely separate idea at first, something reinforced by more comments made by Bautista in 2021. In an interview with Digital Spy, after once again being asked about the status of a Drax/Mantis film, the Army of the Dead lead was far more pessimistic about the project’s chances of seeing the light of day:

    There were talks for a while about a Drax and Mantis film. It was really because it was James Gunn’s idea. He really wanted to do a Drax and Mantis film. He laid it out to me. I thought it was such a brilliant idea, but I haven’t heard any follow-up from the studio. I don’t think they’re very interested, or it doesn’t fit into the way they have things mapped out…

    Dave Bautista, in May of 2021

    Bautista‘s remark about the studio not fitting the project into their schedule, once again, felt correct at the time. Marvel’s Multiverse Saga is jam-packed with new series, films, and special presentations, and a Drax/Mantis story falling by the wayside in the midst of it all was fully believable. After all, the Holiday Special had been in the works for a good while at that point, and it seemed logical that Bautista would know the extent of his character’s future by then. Furthermore, when the Holiday Special was first announced, Gunn had specifically stated on his social media that it was an idea he had in the tank for a very long while, making it appear as though the short and any other Guardians-related concept pitched in the year prior weren’t one-in-the-same:

    One of my favorite stories ever, which I have bugged Kevin Feige endlessly about over the years. I can’t believe we’re actually doing this. And, yes, I unironically loved the Star Wars Holiday Special as a kid.

    James Gunn, in December of 2020

    In another tweet, posted months later, Gunn stated that he had outlined a treatment for the Holiday Special “years ago,” but had only just finished the actual script in April of 2021. Again, this felt completely innocuous and raised no suspicion among fans who might have been trying to speculate the special’s plot. With the script done, Gunn moved to work on Vol. 3, and the Holiday Special would not begin filming until February of 2022.

    Then, just this month, the Holiday Special dropped its first round of marketing. The trailer, a hit with fans, showcased the short film’s plot – with Peter Quill sunk into a depression, Drax and Mantis decide they can brighten his Christmas by heading to Earth and kidnapping his childhood hero, Kevin Bacon. While the released footage features nearly every member of the Guardians, Drax and Mantis seem to get the most screen time, haplessly wreaking havoc across Los Angeles in their quest to bring home the Bacon. Additionally, the poster dropped by Marvel to accompany the teaser featured only two members of the titular team:

    Drax and Mantis on the Holiday Special poster

    Marvel Studios has a long history of repurposing unused ideas and concepts. It seems plausible that, with Marvel unwilling to play ball on a full-blown Drax/Mantis film, Gunn was able to combine the idea with his long-brewing Holiday Special. Although the creative has seemingly had the Special Presentation in mind for years, he did not actually develop its final script until after conceptualizing the Bautista/Klementieff vehicle. In theory, Gunn might have been able to increase Drax and Mantis’ roles in the special after seeing their spark in Vol. 2 and realizing they would not get another opportunity to star in a project together following Vol. 3. Bautista‘s 2021 claims that a Drax/Mantis movie was not happening predate filming by nearly a year and could have simply come from the fact the actor had yet to see the short’s script and was unaware it had largely become focused on himself and Klementieff. Or the Stuber star simply doesn’t consider the Holiday Special a true Drax/Mantis spin-off.

    Of course, it’s also possible that none of this is true. It could just be that the Holiday Special organically shifted towards focusing on the featured duo as the story came together, or that the other Guardians play a much bigger role than the trailer suggests. Still, it’s fun to imagine that the Holiday Special is secretly the Drax/Mantis movie that Gunn has spent years asking for. Perhaps when he said he’d been bugging Feige about the Special for a long time, he didn’t mean the Holiday part specifically. Only time, and pure unwarranted speculation, will tell.

    Source(s): Collider, IGN, Marvel, Digital Spy, Twitter, Comic Book, Empire,

  • James Gunn Teases His New Favorite MCU Character in the ‘Guardians’ Holiday Special

    James Gunn Teases His New Favorite MCU Character in the ‘Guardians’ Holiday Special

    Marvel Studios shocked the world today when they dropped the first trailer for their next Special Presentation, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, only a day after starting marketing on one of their next films, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. One of the biggest surprises in the teaser was the revelation that Hollywood icon Kevin Bacon would make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as a fictionalized version of himself. The actor has been jokingly referred to as an “Earth legend” by Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord on multiple occasions, and it would appear his fellow Guardians took the phrasing to heart. According to the trailer, much of the Holiday Special will feature Dave Bautista‘s Drax and Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis attempting to kidnap Bacon as a present for a forlorn Peter Quill.

    After the footage made its way online, director James Gunn took to his social media to comment on a very specific Tweet from, oddly enough, a full year ago. In October of 2021, Gunn stated that the Holiday Special would introduce his all-time favorite MCU character to fans of the franchise, resulting in months of theories as to who the creative could be talking about. Now, Gunn confirms that he had Bacon in mind the whole time, hinting that the actor’s role in the short film is a favorite of his.

    As revealed by the trailer, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to debut on Disney+ on November 25th. The Special Presentation will act as a bridge for the long gap between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Source: Twitter

  • Michael Rooker’s to Return to the MCU in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Disney+ Holiday Special

    Michael Rooker’s to Return to the MCU in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Disney+ Holiday Special

    Well, here’s a rather curious reveal but it seems that hidden within the official press release on the Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, there’s a special mention of Michael Rooker returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems the actor that famously played Yondu will return to the franchise in the Disney+ special, but there’s a curious detail that may hint at what role he has.

    In the press release, Rooker is mentioned alongside Kevin Bacon as “The Old 97’s“. Perhaps that connection could hint that while he’s returning to the franchise, he isn’t actually playing Yondu. Given that there have been references to MCU actors as themselves within the franchise, perhaps they meet the actor and end up abducting him alongside Bacon due to a misunderstanding that he’s a revived Yondu.

    It’s certainly a mean detail to try and hide away in a press release. In a way, it is the perfect way to tease what may come in the future. We’ll have to see if this theory turns out right, but it would be a nice touch to get a tribute to Star-Lord’s true father in the Holiday Special. He’s faced enough loss and perhaps a Christmas miracle is exactly what he needs to push him further as he faces his next challenge.

  • Cosmo Returns in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special Trailer

    Cosmo Returns in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special Trailer

    If there ever was a character that was noticeably absent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s the space dog Cosmo. After being lost in space, the pupper that loves saying “comrade” somehow ended up in The Collector’s collection but was never seen again since Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Luckily, we learned that Maria Bakalova will take on the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and it seems she’ll also appear in the Holiday Special.

    The first trailer has dropped and while we don’t hear Bakalova voice the character, we do get the confirmation that Cosmo has a role of some kind in the Holiday Special. It likely may be just a minor role and she could appear in the party that is hinted at, but it would be fun to see how this Guardians of the Galaxy midquel potentially sets up the threequel in this franchise.

    We don’t know quite yet if Cosmo has taken on the same role she did in the comics as the new de facto leader of Knowhere. Perhaps that’s where they have the party with what seems to be the Ravagers, but we’ll have to see how she factors into this story. Either way, it’s great to see the galactic corner of the MCU finally explore her character and hopefully set up more appearances in the future. If there was something missing in this franchise, it’s a telekinetic dog.

    Source: XXX