Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Wrap Gift Shows off Groot’s New Design

Monday, Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn showed off the wrap gift he got from Marvel Studios for completing principal photography on the franchise’s upcoming holiday special. In the gift are eight different Christmas tree ornaments, each featuring a different member of the team, including Knowhere’s chief of security Cosmo. Interestingly enough, the designs also do happen to be a bit revealing when it comes from everybody’s favorite monster from Planet X.

Judging by the design, gone are the days of baby, or even adolescent Groot. Instead, a version of the character closely resembling his likeness in Guardians of the Galaxy can be seen before his untimely death. See the design in the pictures below.

“Honesty they’re great, I love this cast and crew,” Gunn recently wrote on Twitter when asked about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. “But there is also a lot of sadness and near-daily tears knowing this is the last Guardians movie for most of us.” The director also responded to a fan that said that this doesn’t have to be the last Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Gunn added, “It does with this cast.”

The usual suspects will be joined by Peacemaker breakout star Chukwudi Iwuji, an actor whose exact role has yet to be announced.

“The production is so big. James and I, we’re picking up where we left off,” Iwuji teased about his mystery character to Variety. “[The character] is very different from Murn. It requires different stuff from me. The way James works with me is pretty much the same, which is he trusts my choices – but at the same time when I give him a choice, he’s ready to push it further. He’s making me push myself. This character needs an extremism that I didn’t need to really tap into in Peacemaker that I’m tapping into here. Our relationship remains the same, one of enjoyment, mutual love and trust.”

“It’s a lot different. Murn is a very contained guy with bursts of anger and emotion. What I’m dealing with is a completely different guy, who, let’s just say, is the extreme opposite of Murn in many ways,” the actor added. “It’s a different kind of world and universe.

The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies are now streaming on Disney+ while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit theaters May 5, 2023. I Am Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special have yet to receive release dates.

What members of the Guardians would you like to see spin-off shows of? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!