Does Santa Appear in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?

Over the weekend, Marvel fans were treated to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which brought some festive cheer to the Disney+ streaming service. The Marvel Studios Special Presentation largely focused on the holiday-themed exploits of its titular team through the cosmos, but fans were still curious to see if there would be any unexpected cameos from the pages of Marvel Comics. One prevailing theory has been that Santa Claus himself would appear in the Holiday Special, continuing a trend of bizarre appearances that the character has had in the comics. So, does Santa appear in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special? Here’s what you need to know. Obviously, spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special below! Only look if you want to know!

No, Santa does not make an appearance in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, with a vast majority of the plot concerning the team’s cosmic kidnapping of Kevin Bacon. Some viewers had speculated that a Ravager briefly shown in the third act of the special was actually Star Wars icon Mark Hamill, as Santa Claus or otherwise, but that has since been debunked by Hamill’s own son. To an extent, the Holiday Special does pay homage to Santa’s Marvel roots, however — but through lyrics to its original song, “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is.”

Who is Santa in Marvel Comics?

After initially debuting in 1954’s Strange Tales #34, Santa Claus has become canonized as one of the most powerful beings in the pages of Marvel Comics. 1991’s Marvel Holiday Special saw the X-Men realizing, through their Cerebro device, that Santa is actually the “most powerful mutant ever registered.” This has led to many interpreting his abilities, from flight to shape-shifting down chimneys to being immortal, as being those of an Omega-level mutant.

“I Don’t Know What Christmas Is” pokes fun at this in a subtle way, with the alien band (portrayed by The Old 97’s) singing that Santa is “a furry freak with epic super powers.” Granted, the lyrics then take things even further, insinuating that Santa carries a flamethrower and has emotional pull over his elves. Still, this might be the closest we get to acknowledging Santa in the MCU for the time being.

Are you sad that Santa Claus isn’t in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now available exclusively on Disney+.

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