James Gunn Reveals Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Won’t Feature Full Team

The Guardians of the Galaxy will be getting into the holiday spirit later this year, but apparently the entire squad won’t be part of the festivities.

The Guardians of the Galaxy will be returning to the MCU this summer in Thor: Love and Thunder, but the fourth film in the God of Thunder’s franchise isn’t the only time audiences will see the ragtag group of misfits in 2022. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to release later this year, but details on the Disney+ special have largely been kept under wraps. Thankfully, Guardians director James Gunn loves interacting with fans on Twitter, and a recent exchange has revealed that not every active member of the Guardians will be part of the holiday festivities. A fan-made image for the Holiday Special featuring Peter Quill, Drax, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Nebula, and Mantis was tweeted at the Guardians mastermind, which garnered the following response:

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When the Guardians were last seen, the team was taking off from New Asgard with Thor following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Star-Lord was looking at an image of Gamora, seemingly trying to track down the 2014 variant of Thanos’ daughter that traveled to the future before the final battle at Avengers compound. The Gamora that Peter knew and loved was killed by the Mad Titan while retrieving the Soul Stone on Vormir, and the new Gamora wanted nothing to do with Star-Lord upon their first interaction. Since Gamora isn’t actually with the Guardians at the moment, it stands to reason that she would be one of the characters that Gunn is referencing. Given that the Holiday Special will be a Disney+ exclusive, and since they’re entirely CGI characters, Rocket and Groot may also sit the holidays out if the budget doesn’t allow for it.

RELATED: Guardians of the Galaxy Cast: Character Guide and Descriptions

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Will Be Part of the MCU Canon

Where the Guardians end up after Love and Thunder may also play a role in who is and isn’t part of the Holiday Special. In the same Twitter thread, Gunn confirmed that the Holiday Special will be between the fourth Thor film and the third volume of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Gunn also said that the special Disney+ event is officially part of MCU canon, and will contain important and new elements in the Guardians’ story. It sounds like the Holiday Special is going to be required viewing for MCU fans, and opens the door for some intriguing possibilities.

There’s been no word on what the actual story of the special will entail, or when it’s going to hit Disney+, but given Marvel Studios’ Wednesday release pattern on the streamer, December 21 seems like a safe bet. That date is the Wednesday before Christmas day, but the entire holiday season is wide open for Disney to play with. More details on the special will hopefully be coming out over the next few months, but at least the Guardians will be back on-screen this July to team up with the God of Thunder.

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