The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special introduces a new spaceship to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in keeping with Star-Lord's tradition, it's named after a rock icon: none other than David Bowie.
On Twitter, director James Gunn answered a question from a fan who had apparently glimpsed shots of the Bowie in the recent trailer for the special and wanted to know if the Guardians had a new ship. "Yes," Gunn replied. "Designed by Beth Mickle and her team, the Bowie set (and ship) is four interconnected stories, and was probably the most magnificent and beautiful set I've ever been on in my life. Even up close, it felt like a working ship."
Although this will be the first time the Bowie appears in the MCU, the same name was given to the Guardians' ship in Marvel Comics in 2019's Guardians of the Galaxy #7 by Donny Cates. The writer confirmed that it was named for the late David Bowie in honor of the 50th anniversary of his first hit song, "Space Oddity," and the official Twitter for Bowie's estate and music acknowledged and approved of the tribute.
The Guardians Rock Their Way Through the Galaxy
In the MCU, the Guardians of the Galaxy first came together as a team on Peter Quill's ship the Milano, named after his 1980s crush Alyssa Milano. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Guardians showed up in a new ship, named the Benatar after another 1980s musical legend, Pat Benatar. The whereabouts of these first two ships is currently unknown, but when a fan inquired about the "first ship" in the Twitter thread about the Bowie, Gunn replied, "It still exists it’s just much smaller." The Guardians, like many families, seem to have outgrown their first vehicle.
David Bowie passed away in 2016 at the age of 69. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock musicians of all time, with iconic albums including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The new spaceship isn't the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise's first nod to Bowie, as his song "Moonage Daydream" was included in the highly praised soundtrack for the first movie, with other singles used in promotional material.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will stream exclusively on Disney+ on Nov. 25. It was filmed concurrently with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is set to hit theaters in May 2023 and marks the end of Gunn's journey with the series.
Source: Twitter