The following contains spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, now streaming on Disney+.
Director James Gunn made it very clear that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a bit of fun before the heartbreak of Vol. 3. The next movie will be a much sadder affair if only because it is the final outing for this found family of space weirdos. So, in keeping with that party vibe, the special featured plenty of cameos.
If this special had any narrative purpose beyond simply being a fun Christmas romp, it was to properly introduce Mantis as a character. Her appearances after Vol. 2 were part of huge ensembles, so there wasn't much time for individual character moments. Gamora and Peter only got one because the former was about to die. Still, no death in this special. While Mantis' ill-advised plan to make the holiday special for her half-brother is fun enough, the cameos only make The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special that much more, uh, special. There were quite a few cameos, some related to Marvel and others more personal to Gunn. So, now viewers who missed these appearances have a good excuse to give the show another spin.
The Old 97's Rocked the Holiday Special
Director James Gunn has loved Texas alt-country band the Old 97's, named after a derailed locomotive, since the 1990s. He struck up a relationship with the band by using one of their songs for the end credits of Slither, his first film. So, Gunn enlisted their help to write the original song on the Holiday Special Awesome Mix and included another of their songs with Kevin Bacon singing the lead. Speaking of….
Welcome to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Kevin Bacon
The addition of the star of Footloose, (never) the greatest movie that ever was, Kevin Bacon is an inspired choice that builds on the Guardians' very first outing. Bacon reportedly didn't know in advance that Peter Quill would be so inspired by his work, he was just a fan. So, when the opportunity came to act with them as a fictionalized version of himself, he signed up despite his aversion to Christmas. Still, Kevin Bacon is also an accomplished musician, though it's a secret only select fans and his TikTok followers know. Now, the whole universe is aware that the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game can now be expanded to include musicians.
Kyra Sedgwick Phones Home for the Holidays
Real-life Hollywood romances are more often well-known for falling apart than lasting, but Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick are closing in on 35 years of marriage. So, while it's unfortunate that her cameo was voice-only, her inclusion was necessary. It appears the two actors' love is so powerful it bursts through into the Multiverse.
Michelle Gunn Is Proof That 'Christmas' Means 'Family'
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
In the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, there is a moment where Drax and Mantis spend a profitable afternoon taking pictures with tourists. Keen-eyed fans would notice that one of those tourists, a mom, was played by Michelle Gunn. She's an actor who's appeared on shows like Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and iCarly. However, as her last name may indicate, she's also James Gunn's sister-in-law. This isn't a Kevin Smith and Harley Quinn Smith situation, either. This is the first time that she has appeared in a project from Gunn. If ever there's a time to work with family, it's the holidays.
Tinashe Kajese A.K.A the Heroic Flo Crawley from Gunn's DC Universe
It's no secret that James Gunn likes to work with the same actors, and since filming The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, Tinashe Kajese appears to be one of them. She played Flo Crawley, the unsung hero who molly-whopped Amanda Waller with a keyboard to save Corto Maltese from Starro. The last fans saw of her over there, Waller locked her up. In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, she plays the officer who unloads her weapon into Drax, tickling him immensely. She then gets molly-whopped with a candy cane wielded by Mantis.
Flula Borg Another of James Gunn's DC Pals Snuck Into the MCU
Since appearing in The Suicide Squad, Flula Borg has found ways to continue to work with those colleagues. He showed up on Nathan Fillion's The Rookie as Skip Tracer Randy, and returned to his voice-acting roots for two DC animated series Aquaman: King of Atlantis and Teen Titans GO! So, it makes sense to see him pop up as the Bartender who doesn't know where Kevin Bacon is, but was perfectly happy to take all Mantis' money.
Hey Kids, That's NOT Mark Hamill! It's Troy Beecham, and He's a Twin!
On Twitter some time ago, James Gunn and Mark Hamill exchanged tweets and met in person, teasing an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. A shot of an older Ravager wearing a Santa hat and downing some space booze sent fans into a frenzy thinking it was the Jedi Master himself. Nope, it's actor Troy Beecham, one half of a pair of identical twins. Yet, of the two brothers, he does bear a passing resemblance to the iconic voice of the animated Joker.
The Challenge of (Bringing) the Go-Bots (Into the MCU)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
In 1983, Tonka toy company wanted to get in on Hasbro's 1980s-era Transformers action, so they created a toy line and an animated series, The Challenge of the Go-Bots. Ironically, Hasbro eventually bought Tonka, and now the Go-Bots are just multiversal Transformers. (Though Bandai owns the character likenesses.) Still, not only does Cy-Kill, the evil leader of the Renegades of GoBotron, appear in the character courtyard, Mantis name-checks the "Go-Bots." So, while no one will ever see them, Go-Bots exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's canon.
Cosmo the Space Dog Makes 'Live-Action' Debut, Kinda
Ever since the team first visited the Collector at Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmo the Space Dog has been in the MCU. That said, the character only appeared in non-speaking scenes previously, which makes sense since she's a dog. Still, viewers of Marvel's What If…? might have been surprised to discover she possessed human-level intelligence, telepathy and telekinesis. In The Holiday Special, Cosmo gets to use all of her skills, voiced by Maria Bakalova.
Even Though It Makes Sense, There Still Wasn't Enough Yondu
Perhaps the most important cameo for MCU fans is the return of the best problematic dad in the universe. Michael Rooker returns in an animated segment reminiscent of Christmas specials past, including the infamous Star Wars: The Holiday Special. Fans suspected any Yondu involvement would be a flashback, but some might be disappointed that they didn't get to see him in the blue flesh. Still, even if he'd haunted the Guardians of the Galaxy like the Ghost of Franchise Past, it wouldn't be enough. He's Mary Poppins, y'all!
James Gunn, the cast and crew all seem to have had a great time filming this goofy little Christmas romp. Some said it provided a nice respite after the heavy, emotional days of shooting Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. Yet, no matter what happens to the gang in the future, it's always Christmastime in Knowhere, and all these cool friends are there.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is currently streaming on Disney+.
Sources: THR.com