The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special gets a silly new poster featuring Kevin Bacon. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy team debuted in 2014 with an ensemble film that became an instant favorite for many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The group returned in 2017 with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a sequel that brought a few new faces to the team, but the trilogy's conclusion faced a long delay due to several factors. The final film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is finally set for a 2023 release, but viewers were able to catch up with the team sooner for a seasonal romp in James Gunn's The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which debuted on Disney+ this week.

One of the many meta jokes in the special came in the form of a cameo from Kevin Bacon, who has been alluded to often by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) over the course of the franchise due to the Guardians team member's nostalgia for 1980s Earth. In the special, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) kidnap Kevin Bacon, who stars as himself, in order to bring some holiday cheer to a morose Peter. Now, Marvel Studios has unveiled a fitting new poster for the special via Instagram to celebrate the Guardians' latest adventure, depicting Bacon trapped in a snow globe with Mantis and Drax standing ominously over him. See the image below:

Related: Why Peter Quill Is Obsessed With Kevin Bacon (& Why It's Wrong)

Could The Guardians Get An Easter Special?

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special debuted to excellent reviews, with a 93% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 87% from audiences, which makes it one of the higher-reviewed MCU projects this year. Viewers have described the special as an entertaining showcase for some of the more underrated Guardians of the Galaxy characters, primarily Drax and Mantis, who often play second fiddle to Peter and Gamora within the franchise's feature films. Since the heartwarming and charmingly over-the-top Christmas adventure was well-received, as was the previously released Halloween special Werewolf By Night, leading some to wonder whether more seasonal fare will follow.

If the MCU were to continue building its seasonal catalog, it could offer a chance to bring the Guardians team back into the fold despite their feature film trilogy ending next year. However, a major reason for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise's success is franchise director Gunn, who confirmed that there will be no more standalone Guardians of the Galaxy films from him after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Given Gunn's recent appointment as the co-chairman of DC Studios, it's likely that he will be busy with DC projects for the foreseeable future. This makes it unlikely that the Guardians could get an Easter special, despite how delightful such a project would surely be, with plenty of meta jokes about Easter eggs and more potential for hilarious cameos.

Why Peter Should Meet The Real David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Since Bacon was finally brought into the fold in the holiday special, Peter's other idol, David Hasselhoff, could ostensibly show up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Ego (Kurt Russell) shape-shifted into Hasselhoff in response to Peter previously referring to Hasselhoff as his father in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, since he didn't know who his real father was. Meeting Hasselhoff could be more emotional for Peter than meeting Bacon due to the personal connection he always imagined himself having with the actor. While it remains to be seen whether Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will deliver on that particular cameo, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has certainly set the bar high for celebrity cameos within the MCU.

More: Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Has One of MCU's Best RT Scores

Source: Marvel Studios

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