Before their upcoming big space adventure in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord and his team will reunite in their very own holiday special on Disney+ this year. While it is expected that familiar team members like Rocket Racoon and Drax will return, The Holiday Special director James Gunn confirmed that Zoe Saldana's Gamora will not make a comeback in the upcoming small-screen project.
Despite that, the anticipation surrounding The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is still high, and it's all because of Gunn's continued hype on social media. The veteran MCU filmmaker claimed that the special is "absolutely ridiculous," describing it as "very light and bubbly and fun."
In line with that, Gunn also teased that "one of the greatest MCU characters of all time" will make its debut in the special. Now, ahead of its release, an unexpected member of the Guardians franchise could make his presence felt in the project.
Yondu's Presence Teased in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Art
MCU Facility uncovered official promotional art for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, showcasing a preview of the project while also indicating that Michael Rooker's Yondu could be involved.
The first image includes Yondu's silhouette alongside a text saying that he "ruined" Christmas:
A variation of the message of Yondu ruining Christmas is featured in this official image:
Aside from the Yondu-centric goodies, other designs from the official art include hilarious nods to Christmas from the Guardians.
Even though Peter Quill is the only one who is familiar with the holiday, this image appears to hint that the rest of the Guardians are on board for the yuletide season:
A different kind of Christmas is set to be revealed as the Guardians are set to take the spotlight:
Pom Klementieff's Mantis is giving off the holiday vibe in this new image:
Vin Diesel's Groot is hilariously incorporated in this holiday greeting:
This mysterious piece of art is included in the Holiday Special collection, but the character's name is unknown. However, when translated using an alien alphabet translator from CinemaBlend, part of it says "Sassy Sweet:"
To cap it off, here's official art that could be worth including as a special holiday greeting to loved ones with an added Guardians flavor to it:
How Will Yondu Impact the Guardians Holiday Special? (Theory)
While Yondu's inclusion in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is surprising, the character's presence makes sense.
Given that Michael Rooker's Ravager already died during the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Holiday Special could feature the character in flashbacks, with Peter Quill reflecting on his time together with his cosmic father figure. This also fits the spirit of Christmas due to its family-related recollection.
However, the fact that the art says that Yondu was the one who ruined Christmas could hint that the Guardians' holiday celebration could be kickstarted by Quill's memory of the character.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn already teased Yondu's impact in the threequel, noting that the Ravager might have deleted some songs from the Zune. It's possible that Yondu accidentally deleted some of the Christmas songs from the playlist, prompting Quill (along with the Guardians) to go back to Earth to relive his Christmas experience.
Considering that Quill is the lone member who is familiar with the holiday, it would make sense if he is the one who introduces Christmas to the Guardians, leading to a memorable get-together before their eventual clash with the High Evolutionary in Vol. 3.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to premiere on Disney+ sometime later this year.
