Marvel Studios is about to revisit the Guardians of the Galaxy often over the next year, with the team having been notably absent within the MCU since the end of Avengers: Endgame. The galactic heroes have two big-screen appearances set in Thor: Love and Thunder along with their own Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Plus, they have their own holiday special set for a Disney+ debut this year.
Of all the new entries coming to Disney+ within the MCU, none are shrouded in more mystery than The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which is filming at the same time as Vol. 3. Outside a few set photos in Atlanta, Georgia, and a rumor that this project may include longtime Hollywood legend Kevin Bacon, Marvel is doing an exceptional job at keeping its first holiday-centric story a secret.
What is known is that the Guardians are now fully ingratiated with the Earth-based Avengers, intertwining the Earth-based storytelling with the cosmic side of the MCU. Now, there appears to be another cosmic connection on Earth thanks to new set photos from the Holiday Special - pictures that tie back to the MCU's most recent cosmic entry, Eternals.
Kingo Poster Spotted on Guardians Set
Twitter user @UPDATESETERNALS shared new set photos from The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special that include a nod to Marvel Studios' Eternals, which released in theaters in late 2021.
The Disney+ special shot material at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theater in downtown Los Angeles, California, which donned red and green holiday decor and signage.
Also included was a movie poster for a fictional film entitled Haxan's Haxaner, which featured Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo from Eternals as the leading star. Nanjiani is dressed in a fancy black suit and wields a pistol as the poster promotes one of his Kingo's many Bollywood movies.
Photos of Kingo’s posters where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is filming! pic.twitter.com/SjrHKFfghe
Kingo's Eternals Legacy Lives On
While Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo was one of the Eternals' best fighters, he made his name in the modern world as a Bollywood star by acting in movies for the better part of a century. His work hasn't shown up in any other MCU projects due to how late in the game his first movie arrived, but it seems only right that his work made it to the most celebrity-filled city in the world.
Also of note is that Nanjiani almost found himself playing a role in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 before he took on Kingo, which Gunn had specifically written for Nanjiani alone. Now, the veteran comedian and actor gets to play a minor role in a Guardians project as his face shines on a poster outside the Chinese Theater as the iconic location makes its second appearance in the MCU after Iron Man 3.
Whether Nanjiani actually appears in person in the Guardians' Holiday Special is a mystery, although he could certainly add his own round of laughs alongside other hilarious characters like Chris Pratt's Star-Lord. However, those details work out, Marvel Studios remains adamant about making sure its universe is entirely interconnected, between the big screen and small screen as well as between unique franchises.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will debut on Disney+ in late 2022. Kumail Nanjiani can be seen as Kingo in Eternals, which is now streaming on Disney+.
