How the Guardians Holiday Special sets up Vol. 3 (Spoilers)

Last Updated on November 28, 2022

This article contains major spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special! So if you haven’t watched it yet, get yourself in the holiday spirit and come back to read the article…

If you weren’t in the Christmas spirit yet, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special should do it. And if you weren’t yet ready for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, well, the Holiday Special should do it.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, as it turns out, is a perfect bridge between Vol. 2 and next year’s Vol. 3. According to writer/director James Gunn, “I used the holiday special as an opportunity to introduce some elements into Guardians of the Galaxy, so I didn’t have to explain them at the beginning of Volume 3.”

The biggest revelation came in the fact that Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are actually siblings, which could be a direct nod to the Star Wars franchise making Luke and Leia related. (The special’s title is, of course, an obvious nod to the doomed Star Wars Holiday Special, released in 1978.)

We also see the gang with a new headquarters (Nowhere) and key characters getting new roles and introductions, like the first appearance of Cosmo. Gunn also said, “I think you see what Nebula’s role is in the group now: She’s a leader to some degree…We see all these changes since we’ve seen them last.”

Gunn also noted that the Holiday Special has a lighter tone than the Guardians’ third installment, which were shot simultaneously, “which is an insane experience because Vol. 3 is a serious movie, it deals with these characters’ emotional lives.” As far as Vol. 3 goes, “It’s about this family of rejects who have found each other, and have come to love each other, and together with the support of each other, maybe come to accept who they are because they all hate themselves, and that’s really what this journey is about.”

Keeping in the tradition of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, the Holiday Special also has a totally bitchin’ soundtrack, with tracks from Julian Casablancas, Old 97’s and The Pogues.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special wrapped up Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 May 5, 2023.

Did you watch The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special? What did you think of it and its revelations? Let us know below!