While we wait for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to hit theaters in May 2023, the good news is that Star-Lord and his squad are set to return six months sooner for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, heading to Disney Plus this December. Other than some festive cheer, we know nothing about what to expect from the special, however. Except now we can maybe say that an unexpected character will be putting in an appearance.
Writer/director James Gunn took to Twitter this Monday to share a sneak peek at the awesome wrap gift Marvel provided to the cast and crew. The gift was a set of tree decorations, with each bauble adorned with a member of the Guardians dressed in Christmas gear.
“Definitely one of the best wrap gifts ever,” Gunn wrote. “Thanks [Marvel Studios]!”
As you can see via the tweet above, the eight baubles feature Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (Vin Diesel), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), and Drax (Dave Bautista) — in a sweater, we hope his nipples are OK.
The most notable character, though, has to be Cosmo the Spacedog, who hasn’t been seen since he cameod as a part of the Collector’s menagerie in the first Guardians movie. His presence on the bauble must mean he has a significant role in the special. Will he finally learn to talk like he does in the comics?
Meanwhile, Gamora is notable for her absence, which may mean Zoe Saldana’s heroine won’t appear in the special. This could indicate that it’s set before the events of Guardians 3, while the gang is still searching for her after she vanished at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Saldana won’t be among the Guardians in this summer’s Thor: Love and Thunder, either.
With The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special now complete, James Gunn has also confirmed that there’s only one week of filming left to go before Vol. 3 is likewise a wrap. It’ll then enter cinemas in May 2023.