James Gunn reveals where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special falls in the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. Following The Suicide Squad for DC and the spinoff Peacemaker series on HBO Max, Gunn is now back with Marvel, simultaneously filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the Holiday Special for Disney+, which will lead into the final film in the trilogy.

Before the holiday special or their third solo film, the Guardians will be seen alongside Chris Hemsworth's titular superhero in Thor: Love and Thunder, releasing this summer on July 8. The Phase Four film picks up following the events of Avengers: Endgame, which saw Thor board the Bentar with the Guardians. The subsequent holiday special will feature the return of many of the core Guardians members, including Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Pom Klementieff as Mantis. With virtually no plot details about the holiday-themed-special available, fans have wondered about its overall place in the MCU.

Related: Marvel Can't Recast Pratt's Star-Lord, Despite Changing Actors Before

Responding to a fan inquiry on Twitter, James Gunn reveals that the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special won't just be a one-off but will serve a greater purpose in the overarching MCU plot. Gunn says the holiday special falls between Love and Thunder and Vol. 3 in the timeline and features "new stories & characters connected to the Guardians universe." Read the full exchange below:

Click here to see the original post.

Gunn also provided a production update for both Guardians projects, revealing the holiday special has finished shooting ahead of its release on Disney+ sometime this Christmas season, while Vol. 3 is expected to wrap filming in approximately one week, due out on May 5, 2023. In addition, Gunn confirmed the holiday special would feature an all-new soundtrack, which has become a distinct part of the Guardians films, presented as mixtapes that Peter's late mother made for him.

Though previously assumed, this is the first official confirmation from the Guardians helmer that the holiday special falls between Love & Thunder and Vol. 3 chronologically. Gunn previously said the holiday special would set up the Guardians' third and final film by introducing a new character, possibly Will Poulter's Adam Warlock. Considering this confirmation, there will also likely be a few small elements present in Love & Thunder (which Gunn consulted on) intended to set up the following Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Next: Why Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Shouldn't Be The End For Every Character

Source: James Gunn/Twitter