Disney+ is providing Marvel Studios with a wide array of opportunities to expand the MCU like never before, and a glimpse of that plan was unveiled during last year's Disney Investor Day.
Shows such as Ironheart, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight are all set to introduce new heroes into the mix while other projects like Armor Wars, Hawkeye, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will focus on expanding the roles of side characters by giving them more time to develop on the small screen.
Still, there are other projects that will be showcased as unique entries in the Disney+ slate of the MCU, and one of them is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Directed by James Gunn, the one-off is set to premiere sometime in 2022, presumably around the holidays of that year. The special will reunite the existing members of the Guardians minus Zoe Saldana's Gamora.
The absence of Thanos' daughter is understandable since the character apparently went into hiding after the final battle of Avengers: Endgame.
Plot details of the special are still being kept under wraps, but an important update from Gunn has emerged that could hint that production is slowly taking shape.
A SNEAK PEEK AT THE GUARDIANS' HOLIDAY SCRIPT
In a post from Twitter, James Gunn shared the first sneak peek at the script of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
This is the wrapping. The present is inside. #GotGHS 🎅🏽🚀💜 pic.twitter.com/NqDw5s6ed8
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2021
Replying to a fan, the MCU director confirmed that the story of the special will be based after Thor: Love and Thunder and before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Yes.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2021
JAMES GUNN'S COMEDIC VISION FOR THE GUARDIANS
This latest image might not offer plot details (as expected), but it should boost the excitement of many MCU fans along the way.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is Marvel Studios' first foray into a show that will specifically focus on seasonal celebrations, and it's clear that anticipation is high. It's only fitting that the Guardians will be front and center, especially after the team became a family throughout the Infinity Saga.
So much has changed since a good chunk of the team came back from Thanos' snap during Endgame, and it will be interesting to see how the team recovers from that fiasco. The story possibilities are endless for the special, but it would seem appropriate for the one-off to be told through the perspective of Rocket.
Rocket was the only original member of the team that survived Thanos' decimation, and the story could revolve around his surprise for the team. It's worth pointing out that Rocket was a frequent visitor of Earth during the five-year gap between Infinity War and Endgame, and there's a strong chance that he learned the spirit of Christmas during that span.
This could be his way of giving back to Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, and it could also serve as his way of introducing the holiday to the rest of the team.
By placing the story after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, this means that Thor will not be around during that special, and hinting that the God of Thunder will stay put on Earth after all.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will offer something unique for the MCU, and it all unfolds when it premieres in 2022.
