Things are about to heat up on the Cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Collider recently spoke with James Gunn, who is returning to work with Marvel Studios after directing DC’s The Suicide Squad and developing the upcoming spinoff Peacemaker, starring John Cena as the titular character.
In this interview, among other things, Gunn disclosed that the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is going to be filmed at the same time as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This shouldn’t be too shocking to fans, because it makes logistical sense to film the special and film simultaneously, seeing that James Gunn and Marvel Studios will already have the cast together.
Gunn also described the Holiday special as a primer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stating…
“It’s in-canon, it’s about the Guardians, you’re gonna learn stuff that you need to learn before Volume 3, and it’s great I’m really happy with it.”
So like many of the shows and movies previously released, it’s important to see the special to fully appreciate and understand the happenings of Vol. 3. I’m sure without it, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be just as enjoyable. However, it will hopefully silence those who thought the content on Disney+ was not as essential as the movies released in theaters.
Previously Gunn directed the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel Studios, which have been met with overly positive responses from critics and fans alike. Announced on Investors Day in December 2020 by Kevin Feige were many projects coming to Disney+, including Marvel’s first-holiday special! And who better than our Guardian friends for that honor?
Other updates on the GotG Holiday Special
Gunn also disclosed that the special will have a run time under 40 minutes, which feels pretty average for holiday specials. Enough to wet your whistle, but also leave you wanting more.
While some may worry about the length of the special, as long as the story is good and it doesn’t feel rushed or out of place, it should be fine. Plus Marvel Studios has mastered quality programming both on Disney+ and in the theaters.
As well, the introduction of holiday specials excites me about other specials and surprises Marvel Studios may put on Disney+ in the future because this seems like just the beginning of their grand new experiment.
The director also indicated that even though it will be filmed using the same sets and cast, it will be edited and finished much sooner than the movie itself. The main cast of the first two volumes is expected to return. No new cast or character announcement yet, but stay tuned!
No information about the story was given by Gunn or Marvel Studios yet, however, given the self-contained story that tends to happen for holiday specials, it seems reasonable that the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be similar to a one-shot comic.
How connected to the holiday season or what chaos will spin-out from the special remains to be seen. However, I for one am ecstatic to see the likes of Star-lord (Chris Pratt), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) appear once again on our screens.
So what do you think Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be priming us for? Could it serve as the introduction to Adam Warlock, previously hinted at in the post-credit scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Could we see where Gamora (Zoe Saldana) went after the conclusion of Avengers Endgame? Will Rocket finally get Bucky’s arm he’s been eyeing since Avengers: Infinity War?
I have no clue what is in store for us in this holiday special or Vol. 3. But it will be nice to see our favorite A-holes back in action once more! Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is expected in December 2022 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Check out Collider’s video interview with James Gunn here!
Source: Collider
