Marvel Studios is turning fans' attention to this 2022 holiday epic as the festive season rounds into full swing. The MCU is no stranger to making the Yuletide gay, with plenty of projects set within the super-powered Multiverse that are perfect for year-end celebrations. These include one-off streaming episodes, an entire snow-capped Disney+ series, and even a big-budget blockbuster.
However, this year, Marvel Studios has highlighted one specific project, coming from the franchise just over three years ago. The official Marvel X account shared a new thread centered on the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. This social effort allows fans to test their knowledge of the hit holiday special, posing questions such as, "Which song is performed while the Guardians exchange presents?" and "What does Nebula give Rocket for Christmas?"
After the quiz, fans are given a superlative and score based on how well they know the jingle-belling cosmic romp, including "It's a Knowehere Christmas Miracle!" and "I Am (Not) Groot."
Even three years after its original release, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special remains highly celebrated among fans. The James Gunn-directed one-off special maintains a stellar 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, accompanied by an 81% Audience Score.
For comparison, 94% is the same score that MCU mega-hits like Avengers: Endgame and the original Iron Man have on the platform, demonstrating the high regard in which the title is held.
Starring many of the Guardians of the Galaxy mainline cast, including Chris Pratt as Star Lord and Dave Bautista as Drax, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was meant to bridge the gap between the second and third Guardians films. It set the MCU's badass bunch trying to cheer Pratt's Star-Lord up by bringing Christmas to him. The only problem is that this largely alien crew is unfamiliar with Christmas. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney+.
Every Other MCU Project To Watch This Holiday Season
Hawkeye
Hawkeye debuts in 2021 as the first bespoke Christmas-set MCU TV project. Taking place during a particularly tense holiday season in New York City, the Disney+ series follows Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton as he battles the villainous Tracksuit Mafia with his bow-wielding protege, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).
While other MCU titles to this point had been set around Christmas, Hawkeye was the first time that the festive season was intrinsically tied to the story of a mainline MCU project. As Clint and Kate traipse across the New York skyline, they are backdropped by Christmas trees, twinkling lights, and the looming threat that they may not be home in time for Christmas morning.
With rumors swirling about a potential second season of Hawkeye, fans have been eager to know whether it will be set during the holiday season again or if that was a one-time decision.
What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas
Over the last few years, new episodes of Marvel's animated What If...? series became something of a Christmas tradition among MCU fans. Not to say they were explicitly Christmas-coded, but rather their release over the holidays served as a special super-powered present left under the tree.
However, there was one time the Multiversal anthology series did expressly address the holidays. During What If...? Season 2 in December 2024 (released on Christmas Eve), Marvel Animation debuted What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas.
This particular otherworldly story centers on Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan, as he must protect Avengers Tower from an attack by the villainous Justin Hammer during the Avengers' Christmas party.
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3, which is streaming right now on Disney+, is not technically a full-on Christmas movie, but it does take place during the holidays (falling into that Die Hard grey zone).
The entire film takes place during December, and it even features a sequence in which Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark suits up in one of his signature suits, accompanied by a take on "Jingle Bells" playing in the background.
Then, later in the film, he crosses paths with a young boy in a snow-covered American town. It is here that the movie's festive flair is in full display, as the viewer can catch glimpses of Christmas trees in windows and colored lights hanging from eaves.
