With the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special about a week away, viewers can look forward to Drax and Mantis in particular getting into the holiday spirit -- literally.
Critics have begun sharing their opinions of the special, with correspondent Kevin Polowy observing, "This is Dave Bautista & Pom Klementieff's show, aka Drax & Mantis Go to Hollywood, and they are a total riot. Especially while drunk."
This observation, as well as the Guardians holiday special's trailer, suggests it will share the same lighthearted and comical mood of the franchise's two films. In the trailer, the Guardians opt to travel to Earth to cheer up Chris Pratt's despondent Peter Quill at Christmastime. And Mantis and Drax have a unique idea to pull Star-Lord from his doldrums: to rustle up Peter's real-life hero, Footloose's own Kevin Bacon. After mentions in past Marvel Studios films, the special officially introduces the actor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A promotional poster for the special shows Mantis and Drax festively dressed in atypical ugly Christmas sweaters. Another promo image shows the pair clearly inebriated and passed out in a gutter.
The Guardians of the Galaxy - Before Christmas
Co-written and directed by James Gunn, the team of space-faring heroes was introduced in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn returned to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017, and will do the same for the upcoming special. The team was also featured in Marvel Studios' recent Thor: Love and Thunder, and also starred in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and its 2019 sequel Avengers: Endgame. The franchise's final film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, likewise written and directed by Gunn, is scheduled for a May 5, 2023 theatrical release.
The special will be Marvel Studios' second Christmas-themed project in as many years -- the six-episode Hawkeye series starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld debuted during the holiday season last year and took place in the days leading up to Christmas. The studio's first television special, Werewolf by Night, was also holiday-themed, debuting in October on Disney+ in advance of Halloween.
In addition to Bautista, Klementieff and Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Karen Gillan are among those also returning to their respective roles as Groot, Rocket and Nebula.
Officially serving as the conclusion to Phase Four of the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special premieres Nov. 25 on Disney+.
Source: The Direct