Funko might have provided a first look at The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special cast's holiday getup with a series of new Pop! figures.
@funko.updates on Instagram posted a first look at Funko's new "Amazon exclusive" Guardians-themed Pop! collection, depicting each Guardian of the Galaxy member -- Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, and Rocket -- in festive gear. These include Star-Lord wearing a Santa hat, Drax in an ugly Christmas sweater, and Mantis and Groot donning various Christmas ears, with each Guardian carrying a holiday present in their hands. The individual Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis and Groot collectibles are also currently available to pre-order at Entertainment Earth.
Alongside Funko, LEGO has developed new sets centered on the upcoming Disney+ special. These include an "Advent Calendar" in which the Guardians prepare for Christmas, as well as a set modeled after the Collector's Museum from the first Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2014. While no official synopsis for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has been revealed yet, director James Gunn jokingly referred to it as "the epilogue of Phase 4" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, since the special will debut after Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in November.
Guardians of the Galaxy Say Happy Holidays
Filming on The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special concluded in April, though Marvel has yet to release a trailer for the project. Gunn has previously teased that "more than one great new MCU characters will be introduced" in the Holiday Special alongside the established cast. One potential character is Cosmo the Spacedog, who briefly appeared in the 2014 film but will have a larger role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's Maria Bakalova providing Cosmo's voice. It was reported in March that Footloose actor Kevin Bacon -- whose 1984 film was referenced by Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy -- would cameo as well.
After the Holiday Special, Vol. 3, which is set for a May 5, 2023 release, will mark Gunn's last movie for The Guardians of the Galaxy. In addition to the Guardians and Cosmo, Vol. 3 features the MCU debut of Will Poulter's Adam Warlock, who was previously teased in a post-credit scene for Vol. 2 in 2017. Peacemaker star Chukwudi Iwuji will also appear in the film as the main antagonist, High Evolutionary. On how his directorial style for Vol. 3 compares to previous entries in the Guardians franchise, Gunn explained, "Different films have different vibes. I personally am looser than I used to be. I often change stuff on set, which was heretical to me around [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1] time."
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special does not yet have a release date but will premiere on Disney+ sometime in December 2022.
Source: Instagram, Entertainment Earth