How Did Nebula Get THAT Christmas Present For Rocket?!

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special managed to pay off a joke long in the making from Avengers: Infinity War by having Nebula gift Rocket Bucky's bionic arm. In Avengers: Infinity War, Rocket Raccoon and Bucky Barnes met for the first time, with Rocket asking how much Bucky would take for the latter's gun. After Bucky retorted that it was not for sale, Rocket then asked how much the Winter Soldier would take for his iconic bionic arm.

Despite being a one-off to capitalize on the amazing character interactions in Avengers: Infinity War, this joke is paid off in the Guardians Holiday Special alongside other MCU easter eggs, leading many to wonder just how Nebula managed to gift Rocket Bucky's arm. While it is likely that the arm is a replica, there are some outlandish possible ways that Nebula could have managed to get the real thing in The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special through her links to the Avengers from Avengers: Endgame. Regardless, the gift is simply a neat way of paying off a longtime MCU joke, and will not impact Bucky's MCU future.

Is That REALLY Bucky's Arm Nebula Gives Rocket? How Could She Have Got It?!

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in Avengers Infinity War's Wakanda Battle

The burning question after this scene in the Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special is if that is actually Bucky's real arm. While it is unlikely, there are some ways Nebula could have managed to receive it. Firstly, it is worth saying that Bucky has had two different powerful bionic arms in the MCU, one made by Hydra and the other the Wakandans. This means that it is canonically possible for Bucky to change his arm. Also, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier established that the Wakandans have a failsafe in Bucky's vibranium arm to easily disable it.

As Nebula spent the five-year time jump between Infinity War and Endgame alongside the remaining Avengers, including Okoye, she could have pulled some strings and managed to get Bucky's real arm. The Wakandans could easily make a replacement with more enhanced capabilities. Despite this, the possibility is minuscule, to say the least. It is much more likely that Bucky's arm gifted to Rocket is a replica. Through the links to Wakanda established in Avengers: Endgame, Nebula could have simply asked her newfound allies to make a perfect copy of Bucky's arm, to forego the awkwardness of actually taking the real thing simply for a Christmas gift.

Nebula Giving Rocket Bucky's Arm Is Perfect Infinity War Payoff

Bucky and Rocket talk in Avengers Infinity War

Regardless of whether Rocket received Bucky's actual arm or not, the best way the scene works is as the payoff for Avengers: Infinity War's joke. One of the more beloved aspects of Infinity War, and something that makes it highly regarded as one of the MCU's best efforts, was the interactions between the previously disparate characters. Bucky is someone who, before Captain America: Civil War, was largely confined to the more serious, grounded tone of the Captain America series. However, Infinity War's Bucky was able to embrace the more outlandish aspects of the MCU's massive universe.

This was not exemplified more than in Bucky's interactions with Rocket, from picking the raccoon up and spinning in a circle to combat Thanos' outriders to rebuking his attempts to take his arm. With Infinity War releasing in 2018 and the Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special in 2022, the scene pays off a four-year-old joke. This not only makes for a very heartwarming interaction between Nebula and Rocket, but proves the continued efforts of the MCU to stay interconnected in the best ways.

We Know Bucky Still Has His Arm In The MCU's Future

An image of the Thunderbolts standing together in a line-up

One of the main contributing factors as to why it is likely the arm in the Guardians Holiday Special is not Bucky's real arm is the future of the MCU. At the D23 2022 event, Marvel Studios announced the official lineup of the team for their upcoming Thunderbolts film. Alongside this announcement came some concept art of the team, with Bucky front and center, boasting both his human and bionic arms. One of Bucky's major weapons in the MCU has been the latter, among aspects like his super soldier powers, and he will very clearly be using it to its full potential in Thunderbolts. With that being said, it makes it even more likely that Nebula's gift in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a replica, simply serving as heartwarming pay off to an old MCU joke.

Next: What James Gunn's DC Role Means For GOTG 3 & The Holiday Special