New photos from the set of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special showcase the festive slant of the upcoming Disney+ adventure's action-focused props.
The images were taken at one of the production's Atlanta, Georgia shooting locations and published by The Direct. The shots feature an overturned police car in front of a lawn covered with Christmas decorations, including stars and reindeer. The police car's paintwork reveals that the scene is set in Beverley Hills, with the Atlanta suburbs doubling for the affluent Californian city in the show. This detail also appears to confirm that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is at least partly set on Earth.
Little else is known about the show's plot, although writer-director James Gunn declared the special "the greatest thing [he's] ever done in [his] life." The filmmaker went on to describe the project as "totally ridiculous, and every day we can't believe that we're making it. We all completely love it. It is unlike anything that anyone's ever seen before. I can't wait for people to see it." Gunn also revealed the production would feature the same core cast and reuse many of the sets that appeared in previous Guardians movies, confirming that it will lead directly into 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The director also teased that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will introduce several new characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the identities of these newcomers are still unknown, at least one potential candidate has already been ruled out. In October 2021, Gunn shot down rumors that obscure 1950s Casper ripoff Homer, the Happy Ghost will appear in the special, citing Homer's derivative origins as the reason why he's not eager to use the character.
While Homer won't feature in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Hollywood legend Kevin Bacon might. A recent report claims that Bacon was seen on set, which could indicate that Gunn intends to pay off a running joke in the MCU. The gag revolves around Star-Lord's obsession with Bacon's 1984 musical, Footloose, which is first referenced in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. Bacon was pleasantly surprised by the shout-out at the time, and later expressed interest in making a cameo appearance in a future Guardians installment. "I love the idea. I would love to be part of that," Bacon said.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special arrives on Disney+ sometime during the 2022 holiday season.
Source: The Direct