How Nebula Got Rocket's Christmas Present Explained By James Gunn

Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special director James Gunn explains how Nebula (Karen Gillan) got the Christmas present she wanted to give to Rocket (Bradley Cooper). The special sees the Guardians of the Galaxy give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) a Christmas celebration on Knowhere he won't forget, with Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) having kidnapped Kevin Bacon against his will to give him as a Christmas present to Peter. In one of the special's most surprising scenes, Nebula gives Bucky Barnes' (Sebastian Stan) arm to Rocket, giving closure to a joke in Avengers: Infinity War.

Now, taking to Twitter, Gunn explained how Nebula obtained Bucky's arm for the special. Though it may not have officially happened that way, Gunn answered a fan question and joked that Nebula went to Earth and tore off Bucky's metal arm off his body, "because she was feeling so Christmasy." Check out what he said on that event below:

Why Bucky's Arm Is Such A Meaningful Gift for Rocket

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Rocket with Bucky's Arm

In Avengers: Infinity War, during the Battle of Wakanda, Rocket asks Bucky how much his arm costs. Bucky hilariously replies that it's not for sale, prompting the talking Raccoon to say, "I'm gonna get that arm." While some may have thought this bit was referencing an event in the Guardians of the Galaxy, in which Rocket asked Quill to grab an inmate's leg, only for it to have been revealed as an elaborate joke, no one expected Gunn to pay off one of Avengers: Infinity War's best moments in a surprisingly emotional way.

When Rocket receives Bucky's arm as a present in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, it represents a meaningful moment for the character, who seems to be obsessed with mechanical arms and legs. Though Gunn jokingly said that Nebula went to Earth to tear off Bucky's arm, the one she gives to Rocket doesn't look like the one the character is wearing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as the color of that arm is much darker than the one Nebula gives to Rocket. In fact, it seems to be a metal arm Bucky previously wore in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War than his new Wakandan arm, representing his character evolution as "The White Wolf."

Regardless of which arm Rocket has, the fact that Gunn paid off a four-year-old joke and found a way to connect one event from the larger confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a holiday special is not only meaningful for Rocket, but for fans of the franchise who are always on the lookout for more Easter Eggs in the MCU. Small moments like Rocket obtaining Bucky's arm in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special gives a satisfying moment of closure for fans of the franchise, and for the character, who has been part of comic book movie fans' collective imaginations for the past eight years. Rocket receiving a moment of levity will likely act in contrast to the darker origin story he will get in when he has a bigger presence in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.

Next: GOTG Holiday Special Fixed A Phase 4 Guardians Plot Hole

Source: James Gunn/Twitter