The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now here to deliver some early festive cheer, as the 45-minute standalone just landed on Disney Plus today. James Gunn really pulled out all the stops with this one to offer up a truly wholesome story that ticks off all the classic tropes of the Christmas special. Although, having said that, the Special Presentation’s gift-giving scene takes a surprisingly dark turn.
At the end of the special, once the Guardians are reunited once more on Knowhere, the gang exchanges their Christmas presents. Nebula (Karen Gillan) is shown to finally give Rocket (Bradley Cooper) something he’s been after for years: a certain Vibranium prosthetic arm. Yes, Bucky Barnes’ cybernetic appendage is now apparently owned by Rocket.
While this is likely intended as simply a fun throwaway gag referencing a joke from Rocket and the Winter Soldier’s first meeting in Avengers: Infinity War, this moment has left fans fearing for Bucky’s safety. How did Nebula get Bucky’s arm? Is he OK? Did the Wakandans give him a replacement? We have so many questions, James Gunn, and we need answers.
Some Christmas Bucky is having…
Is it possible there is a load of Vibranium arms out there in the galaxy?
Every Marvel fan when Rocket opened his present:
Also, kudos to this particular fan who managed to accurately predict exactly what happened (note the time stamp).
We’ll next be seeing Sebastian Stan’s Sergeant Barnes in Thunderbolts, dropping in July 2024. Promotional art has assured us Bucky will have his arm back in that movie, so rest assured the Winter Soldier is only temporarily armless. Maybe we’ll find out the story behind this mystery in the next Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?