Our favorite ragtag group of heroic space outlaws is back! But this time, they’re here to deliver us a holly jolly good time. That’s right— Marvel has given us the gift of a Christmas-themed special, in the form of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special! When a couple of the Guardians decide they want to give Star-Lord the best Christmas ever, they embark on a holiday cheer-filled mission to find him the perfect gift. Along the way, you can expect plenty of rockin’ Christmas music, as well as the Guardians’ usual antics— which will have your belly shaking from laughter, like a bowl full of jelly.
As always with the Guardians, Holiday Special has an absolutely sick soundtrack— this time with jingle bells aplenty. We actually get a couple of stellar original songs, written and performed by Old 97’s. One of them in particular is an especially catchy earworm that is sure to play in your head on repeat for the rest of the holiday season. The remainder of the soundtrack is filled out with some lesser-known Christmas songs that fit the Guardians’ typical vibe— but this time, leaning more into the era of 90’s and 2000’s rock.
Personally, I only had prior knowledge of a couple of these songs’ existence, but I’ve now grown to love all of them, and have this spectacular Special to thank for that.
Of course, the heart of any Guardians of the Galaxy is the lovable— but sometimes misguided— cast of characters, which is no different here. We get to see a swole Groot, who has grown drastically since his last on-screen appearance as an adolescent. A few other regulars are back, such as Star-Lord, Rocket, Nebula, and Kraglin, but we are also introduced to Cosmo, a telekinetic dog with a translator collar, who is already one of my favorites of the bunch.
You may recognize her because she made a brief appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, in The Collector’s collection— but she’s now joined the team, with the delightful voice work of Maria Bakalova.
The real star of the show here is Mantis, who we get to see shine with her bubbly personality and overflowing heart. If Pom Klementieff hadn’t sold you on Mantis in GOTG Vol. 2 and Avengers: Infinity War, she sure as hell will here. Drax also tags along for the ride alongside her, adding plenty of his dumb brute style of comic relief. And last but not least, let’s not forget the appearance of the world’s greatest hero, who saved a whole town with the power of dance… Kevin Bacon!! He adds an extra little bit of laughter, love, and holiday cheer to the Special.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special isn’t particularly plot-heavy— in fact, it’s technically the first MCU project lacking an antagonist. While that may sound like a drag, I personally enjoyed the change of pace and the opportunity to see the Guardians’ brand of mischief just play out on its own in a Christmas-dressed sandbox. That isn’t to say there’s no plot… We’re still given a heartwarming, hilarious romp, where the Guardians learn what Christmas means, and get to share it with one another.
‘The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special’ – Final Thoughts
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a shining star to cap off Phase 4 of the MCU. The characters shine as bright as ever, and help solidify the “Marvel Special Presentation” as a fantastic new vessel for stories. It’s filled with a ho-ho-whole lot of heart, and it goes balls to the wall, decking the halls with Christmas cheer.
The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special will stream exclusively on Disney+ on November 25th. Check out the trailer below:
