When is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special release date? The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the upcoming next instalment in the story of Star-Lord and his motley crew and will act as a nice appetiser before the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
That’s right, the Guardians are swapping Marvel movies for a short special. Like the recent Werewolf by Night, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a seasonal TV special for streaming service Disney Plus. Written and directed by the new DC movie head honcho James Gunn, it’s set to act as the final nail in the MCU’s Phase 4, ensuring that this most recent era of superhero movie history ends with a laugh-filled bang.
So, here’s everything we know about The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special release date, as well as its cast, plot, trailer, and how you can sit down and watch it.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special release date
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special release date is the November 25, 2022. That might seem a little bit early for a Christmas release, but it’ll mean that everyone who wants to see it before the 25th of December roles around will have had ample opportunity.
It can also act as an early boost if you’re struggling to get into the festive mood, as it’s set to be the first purely-Christmas themed MCU project. Fun!
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special cast
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special cast isn’t going to be a huge surprise to anyone who’s familiar with the usual Guardians of the Galaxy crew, and it’ll be packed with all your favourite MCU characters. The cast for the short Christmas movie features all the faces you’ve come to expect from a Guardians movie led by Chris Pratt, even with side characters like Kraglin.
However, there are a few unexpected faces. These include Micahel Brooker as Yondu (presumably in a flashback) and Kevin Bacon. More on him later.
Who is in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special cast?
- Chris Pratt as Star-Lord
- Dave Bautista as Drax
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis
- Karen Gillan as Nebula
- Vin Diesel as early-adult Groot
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket
- Sean Gunn as Kraglin
- Michael Rooker as Yondu
- Kevin Bacon as himself
- Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog
- Zoe Saldaña as the younger version of Gamora who survived Avengers: Endgame
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special plot
We have the vague details about the The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special plot, and we’ll be honest from the start: it sounds absolutely charming. The central premise of the TV special is that the Guardians go down to Earth in order to celebrate Christmas for Star-Lord by finding him the best Christmas present possible, in order to ease his grief at having lost Gamora. How lovely!
And there’s more too. The legendary Kevin Bacon (yes, the very same Kevin Bacon who Star-Lord idolises) is in the comedy movie as Drax and Mantis try to turn him into a living present for Star-Lord. Of course, this all sounds like it could go very wrong, but we’re sure it’ll be a lot of fun along the way too. Oh, and Groot is no longer a teenager.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special trailer
Thankfully, we also have a The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special trailer to tide us over until the release date. It’s packed full of everything that you’d expect from a Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas-themed release. That means there’s good jokes, bad jokes, plenty of heart, and Kevin Bacon.
What more could you want? Check it out below, if you want to get in the Christmas mood:
How to watch The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Like so many Marvel series, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will debut on streaming service Disney Plus, and it’ll come in with a very digestible 40 minute runtime. That means you can get all snuggled up under a heavy blanket, with a mug of hot chocolate and some mince pies, and watch the Holiday special from the comfort of your home.
This may disappoint some fans who wanted to see the conclusion to Phase 4 on the big screen, but the special is exclusively for TV and Disney Plus, which is why it’s not getting a theatrical release.
That’s all we have on The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. To keep up with the rest of the Marvel movies, check out our guides to Black Panther 2, including our writing on Shuri, Ironheart, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Vibranium, and Wakanda itself.