‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Is Still Great After 3 Years

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It’s easy to get stuck rewatching familiar Christmas movies each year, but in 2022, Disney+ released a holiday film that quickly felt like a classic. Three years later, it’s still incredibly enjoyable, proving its success wasn’t just due to novelty. It seems destined to become a timeless favorite, and future audiences would be missing out if it doesn’t! It’s a truly festive and delightful 40-minute watch.

James Gunn is now working with the DC Universe, but he first became famous for directing and writing the Guardians of the Galaxy movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trilogy, which started in 2015 and ended in 2023, was a huge part of Marvel’s most successful period. These films told their own complete story, with only occasional connections to other Marvel movies. It’s easy to overlook, however, that before the final Guardians movie, there was a charming, official Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special released on Disney+.

‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special‘ Is Perfect Christmas Viewing for Superhero Fans

I love how the Guardians weren’t just in their own movies! They showed up in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame too, which was awesome. James Gunn worked with the Russo brothers on those films to make sure his characters felt true to themselves, but he’s mentioned not fully agreeing with some of the writing choices later on. Thankfully, he had complete creative control for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which takes place after Endgame and before the third movie. It definitely fits into the overall story, but it has a slightly different vibe – though not in a way that feels jarring or out of place.

For this special, James Gunn focused on making it funnier while still keeping the story emotionally resonant. He toned down the big, dramatic action sequences. This approach creates a short film that feels both warm and festive, like a classic Christmas special, but also stays true to the spirit of Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn’s knack for music remains, but he specifically chose Christmas songs—both familiar and unexpected—along with some excellent original tracks that blend seamlessly into the soundtrack.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has a rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This holiday special is incredibly heartwarming and captures the magic of Christmas, even within its sci-fi setting and alien perspective. While the conclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy series might make it feel less connected to current events, it’s still just as fun to watch as it was when it first came out on Disney+ in 2022. It’s possible people will tire of it eventually, but its strong Christmas spirit suggests it will likely remain a holiday favorite for years to come.

The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Christmas Short Works Just Fine as a Standalone Viewing Experience

It Has a TV-14 Rating


Disney+

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) can feel overwhelming because of how many movies and shows there are, but not everything is essential to the overall story. Some installments are more important than others, and you can skip some without missing too much. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies, while mostly self-contained, still play a significant role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. There’s even a quick connection in Thor: Love and Thunder. Therefore, if the new holiday special needed a lot of prior knowledge to make sense, it would be harder for Disney+ to attract new viewers who just want a simple, festive watch.

James Gunn intentionally kept the Guardians short film and the holiday special relatively separate from the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the short film wasn’t essential to the overall MCU or even the Guardians of the Galaxy series, understanding the broader Marvel story isn’t necessary to enjoy the special. It quickly establishes what’s happening, introduces the characters naturally, and features a surprisingly heartwarming plot where Kevin Bacon (playing himself) gets kidnapped – all without relying heavily on events from other Marvel movies.

As a big MCU fan, I really appreciated all the little references and Easter eggs in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special – it’s clear James Gunn knows his audience! But what’s so clever is that even if you’re new to Marvel, you can still totally enjoy it. It doesn’t overwhelm you with inside jokes. Honestly, with how busy the holidays can be, making something everyone can watch – even if they aren’t big Christmas movie people – was a really smart move. It’s the kind of thing that can just bring everyone together.

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2025-12-07 23:03