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

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the perfect reintroduction for the MCU space heroes, with a wild holiday adventure chasing down Kevin Bacon, but it could have been even better. Peter Quill was abducted from Earth at a young age by the Ravagers and the Marvel Special Presentation explores how Quill attempted to keep his human traditions alive. Unfortunately, aliens like Yondu believed the festive holiday to be largely pointless and Quill didn't get to celebrate Christmas with his new crew. However, he did hold on to many memories of his life on Earth, and his childhood heroes.

When the Guardians first came together as a team, Peter Quill shared stories, music and common phrases from his birth planet, but the Holiday Special highlighted one of Quill's heroes specifically, Kevin Bacon. Guardians of the Galaxy briefly mentioned Bacon twice when Quill is telling Gamora about a great Earth hero who brought a community together through dance. This idea is then referenced twice more when Gamora says "We're just like Kevin Bacon!" after the team manages to get into Ronan's ship, and finally when Quill dances to distract Ronan. But Bacon doesn't make sense as Quill's biggest hero.

Why Peter Quill Loved Kevin Bacon So Much

Custom image of Kevin Bacon and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Peter Quill is shown frequently to have a strong attachment to his home planet, and more specifically, his deceased mother. He loves the music that he was gifted by her and the memories of their time together before she became ill and he was taken by the Ravagers. When he is getting to know Gamora, he tries to share this with her and tells her about the famous Earth hero, Kevin Bacon, who helped to unite a town through dance.

The story is an exaggerated retelling of the movie Footloose, but no doubt, young Quill may have seen the film with his mother and feels a strong connection to her through these stories. Quill certainly admires Kevin Bacon, but he is aware that he's simply an actor in a movie and it would be difficult to describe what that even means to an alien. However, there is another famous actor that Quill had a much stronger connection to and could have made a more satisfying focus for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Why David Hasselhoff Should Have Been Peter Quill's Christmas Present

David Hasselhoff in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Quill discovers his biological father, Ego, and while uncovering what this meant for who he was, he reveals a lot more about his life on Earth before being abducted by Yondu and the ravagers. Peter has conflicted feelings about his father, an alien being who abandoned his mother and him before he was born. As a boy, Quill felt a strong desire to have a father figure in his life and an intense yearning when other kids were off playing with their dads. For this reason, young Quill told people that his father was none other than David Hasselhoff.

Quill developed an emotional relationship with the actor and musician and kept a small picture of Hasselhoff in his pocket with him, a habit which carried on into his adult life when he encounters his actual father. Quill may have admired Kevin Bacon, but he clearly idolised David Hasselhoff. If Mantis and Drax had tried to capture the Hoff as Quill's Christmas gift, it could have been a much more rewarding pay-off of the foundation set in previous films for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Next: James Gunn's New Role Proves Marvel Vs. DC Is All In The Fans' Minds