What We Know So Far About 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special'
Marvel fans are in for a treat when our favorite Guardians appear on our screens in December to engage in some spirited shenanigans. Even though The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was announced in December 2020, director and writer James Gunn said that he had worked on the concept for several years. Driven by his love for the project, he “bugged [Feige] endlessly about it over the years.” Gunn has additionally stated that his love for the original Star Wars Holiday Special (unironically, of course) was the drive behind the story. The special will also take on a more light-hearted note than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will put fans at ease.
When responding to fans’ questions on his Twitter, Gunn brought up that Holiday Special is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) canon, and takes place between Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He also said that it will contain new and important elements in the Guardians’ story.
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Familiar faces Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klementieff will reprise their roles from the film series. Gunn even tweeted that “one of the greatest MCU characters of all time” will be introduced. There are a few contenders who fit that bill: Cosmo, the telepathic dog from space, who made a brief cameo in The Collector’s …erm, collection in Vol. 1. Adam Warlock, who will be played by Will Poulter from We’re the Millers in Guardians Vol. 3; and Santa Claus. According to IMDb, the jolly fat man makes an appearance in the special. Now, this isn’t the rosy-cheeked Santa Claus we all know and love (and believe in!!). This Santa is one of the most powerful Omega mutants, on par with Jean Grey and Apocalypse.
While the special is live-action, some CGI is expected to be used for some characters. Spurning many rumors, Mark Hamil teased a possible role in response to James Gunn’s Tweet that “I have a very bad feeling about this.”
While actor David Moskowitz is the one to play the physical embodiment of Santa, Hamill could be providing the voice for the character.
Keeping with the tradition of many Hollywood movies that try to keep productions as secretive as possible, filming for Holiday Special began in February 2022 under the working title Poptart. As the filming took place during the tail end of the production of Vol. 3, the sets that were used for Vol. 3 were also used for Holiday Special, including a few scenes being filmed at the Atlanta Country Club with several streets covered in Christmas-themed decorations. In April, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff filmed at the TCL Chinese Theater where onlookers spotted movie posters with Kingo from Eternals amidst the Christmas decorations and trees. Back in June, Vin Diesel spoke about Groot’s return to Planet X, which will either happen in Holiday Special or the upcoming I Am Groot.
Vol. 2 cinematographer Henry Braham will return for Holiday Special and Vol. 3, and Greg D’Auria will serve as editor. Gunn had also mentioned that the special will contain a soundtrack with classics along with original music composed by Peacemaker composer John Murphy (who is also working on Vol 3).
As an added bonus, LEGO recently announced that a Guardians-themed Advent calendar inspired by Holiday Special will be released in September.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special is due to be released on Disney+ in December 2022.
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