Small Details You Missed In The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Trailer

Christmas came early as James Gunn and the fine folks at Marvel Studios dropped the trailer for the "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." It was quite the surprise as just yesterday, MCU fans were treated to the first trailer for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," but hey, we're not complaining. 

The trailer for the holiday special confirms this is yet another special presentation exclusive to Disney+, following in the footsteps of the recent "Werewolf by Night." Gunn revealed on Twitter earlier this year that the "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" would serve as the epilogue of Phase 4, which technically ends with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." 

We got a taste of what our favorite pack of misfits has been up to since "Thor: Love and Thunder," and while Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) seems down in the dumps over Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the rest of the Guardians crew is rocking around the Christmas tree. Here are some small details you might have missed in the first (and likely only) "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" trailer.

At several points in the trailer, we see a new ship flying through space, which we assume has the Guardians on board. This is not the Milano (RIP), and it looks nothing like the Benatar, so it appears as if the team has a new ship they're planet-hopping in. In the comics, the Guardians have traveled on a few ships (the Sommerville, the Tennant, the Almond, the Bowie, the Ryder, etc.), but this new one we see in the trailer doesn't match the look of those. As we know, James Gunn likes to throw his flair into the "Guardians" films, with the Milano being named for Alyssa Milano and the Benatar for rock star Pat Benatar.

This could be the ship we see the Guardians on in the group's third film, which lands in theaters on May 5, 2023. We just hope it has an awesome name. The Kevin, perhaps?

After cameoing in both "Guardians of the Galaxy" and its sequel, Cosmo the Spacedog is finally getting a proper MCU introduction in the "Holiday Special." First introduced in comics in "Nova" #8, Cosmo is a test subject of the Soviet Space Program, launched into space as part of their experiments in the 1960s. His spacecraft drifts off course, resulting in his eventual arrival on Knowhere. During his travel, cosmic rays hit Cosmo, giving him telekinetic powers. He eventually becomes the Chief of Security on Knowhere and interacts with many fan-favorite characters like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Cosmo's quick cameo in "Guardians of the Galaxy" saw the spacedog locked in The Collector's library of artifacts but was released after the Power Stone explosion. The film's post-credits scene also showed Cosmo walking up to a defeated Collector, licking his face. Director James Gunn decided to change things up with the MCU's Cosmo, casting Maria Bakalova to voice the Russian dog, gender-bending the character to female. Deadline reported the "Borat" star's initial casting in the threequel, but Marvel kept the role a secret. It wasn't until San Diego Comic-Con that Gunn revealed that Bakalova was playing Cosmo.

After a quick introduction in the "Holiday Special," Bakalova will return as Cosmo in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Fans of the MCU know that it's taken a very long time for Groot (Vin Diesel) to grow from a sapling to a moody teenage mini-tree after he sacrificed his life for the betterment of his newfound family during "Guardians of the Galaxy." His progress has stretched from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" to "Avengers: Infinity War," both parts of "Avengers: Endgame" and "Thor: Love & Thunder," with each movie adding a couple of inches or a new personality quirk to the pot. It appears that the "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" will definitely show another step in the character's evolution.

Though he's only seen briefly during the trailer, Groot has a deeper voice than he did in "Thor: Love & Thunder" and utters his name with enthusiastic growling brio. His body has also lost his adolescent gawkiness, and his chest and shoulders bear more of the characteristic bulkiness his forefather sported. He also wears a cute pair of red snowflake-printed antlers for those who were worried that the lovable character might lose some of his native sweetness in this new incarnation. James Gunn shared on Twitter that he refers to this version of the beloved tree as Swoll Groot. We couldn't think of a better name.

Perhaps the biggest surprise from the "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is the gift that Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are searching for. It's no secret that Peter is enamored with the dance classic "Footloose." The space adventurer was so influenced by the cult classic that he took a page out of the finale's book and saved the galaxy through a dance-off in the first "Guardians" feature.

With Star-Lord needing some holiday cheer, Drax and Mantis head to Earth to get "someone special" for the Guardians' leader. And who is more perfect as a gift than "Footloose" star Kevin Bacon? Heading to Hollywood, the duo finds Bacon's posh home, asking for the legendary actor through his intercom system. A closer look at the hilarious moment shows that Bacon's mailbox sports the number 1988. With this being Marvel, this is certainly a deliberate easter egg. It's easy to assume that the number is a nod to the year "Footloose" danced its way into cinemas, but the film was released in 1984.

What's the significance of the number printed on Bacon's mailbox? Quill was abducted from Earth in 1988. The year was the last time Quill could enjoy his home planet, and is perhaps the year that shaped him the most as his mother passed. With Mantis and Drax trying to abduct Bacon from house #1988, it's a simple nod to how they're bringing back a part of Quill's childhood.