The long-awaited trailer for James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas special has been released.
Set following the events of Thor: Love and Thunder but before the departure of the cosmic team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the special sets up the final adventure that Gunn will direct in the misfit suit. The trailer confirms that the eponymous team will be returning to Earth in a bid to cheer up Star-Lord, who is still dealing with Gamora's death in Avengers: Endgame. In doing so, Mantis and Drax try to recruit Kevin Bacon as a special Christmas present.
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas special was announced in December 2020 during Disney Investor Day. Little was known about the Disney+ project at the time, but Gunn soon clarified that the Christmas special would be essential before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
"It's in canon. It's about the Guardians, you're going to learn things that you need to learn before you see Vol. 3, and it's great," Gunn said in July 2021. "I'm very, very happy with it. I'm using a lot of the same sets. The same actors, obviously. So we're shooting, you know, simultaneously with the movie."
The special, which Gunn confirmed would be less than 40 minutes long, finished filming in April 2022. And the freebie even included Cosmo the space dog, leading many to believe that the cosmic canine from the credits scene in The first Guardians of the Galaxy will return for the holiday special. In the comics, Cosmo operates out of Knowhere, assisting the Guardians and communicating telepathically. Knowhere apparently disappeared when Thanos caught the Reality Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, but it's possible that Cosmo made it out alive.
While the special is likely to be a fun departure from the typical Marvel outing, it's clear that it will be essential for all Guardians fans. In fact, Gunn thinks GotG Holiday Special is his best work to date.
"The holiday special is the best thing I've ever done in my life," Gunn said in March. "It's totally ridiculous, and every day we can't believe we're doing it. We all love it. It's like nothing anyone has ever seen before. I can't wait for people to see it." Fortunately, fans won't have to wait long. The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas special will be released this holiday season on Disney+.