When Marvel Studios revealed the remainder of its Phase 4 slate at last month's San Diego Comic-Con, there was no mention of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Phase 5 kicks off with next year's Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and, as the title suggests, this Guardians special should be with us in time for Christmas,
Something tells us both this project and that untitled Werewolf by Night Halloween Special will be unveiled during Disney+ Day next month, but, in the meantime, filmmaker James Gunn has provided some clarification.
Responding to a fan on social media, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director (who shot the Holiday Special when cameras were rolling on the threequel), said that "The Guardians Holiday Special is the epilogue of Phase 4."
That will make it our final trip to the MCU this year, and it will no doubt be nice to end things on a lighter note after the emotional Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Remember, Spider-Man: Far From Home was similarly considered an epilogue to Phase 3 after the shocks and surprises delivered by Avengers: Endgame.
A LEGO advent calendar based on The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has also been revealed. While it doesn't tell us much about the standalone story, we see what appear to be new costumes for the heroes along with a handful of unfamiliar ships. Groot decked out like a Christmas tree, though? That is awesome.
Stay tuned for updates on The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. As for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, that's set to arrive in theaters on May 5, 2023.