Marvel Studios debuted the first trailer for James Gunn's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special yesterday evening, and the accompanying cast list included a surprising addition fans weren't expecting to see in The MCU again.
Along with Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn - and Kevin Bacon! - the next Disney+ Special Presentation will feature Michael Rooker.
The Walking Dead alum played Ravager leader Yondu Udonta in the first two Guardians movies, but was killed-off towards the end of Vol. 2 when he sacrificed himself to save Peter Quill. Gunn has made it very clear that Yondu would "stay dead" and never be brought back for any GOTG project he was involved with, so could Rooker be playing a completely different character?
That's one possibility, but Yondo could also appear in flashbacks, a dream sequence, or even as some kind of Christmas spirit guide to keep Star-Lord on the right track (pure speculation - but we wouldn't be at all surprised if Gunn drew inspiration from Holiday classic A Christmas Carol here).
Let us know how you think Rooker will factor in to the GOTG Holiday Special in the comments, and have another look at the trailer below.
In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Guardians, who are on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill, head to Earth in search of the perfect present.
James Gunn wrote and directed The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Gunn, Sara Smith and Simon Hatt, with David J. Grant and Lars P. Winther serving as co-producers.
The second "Special Presentation" is set to hit Disney+ on November 25.