Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Confirms DC Exists in the MCU (Again)
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney+ and among all the holiday cheer and hijinks, the new Marvel Cinematic Universe special has done something else: confirmed (again) that the DC universe exists in the MCU, at least in terms of some of its more iconic characters. It's a confirmation that makes for a fun little Easter egg of sorts and reinforces references made by previous entries in the MCU as well. Warning: spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special beyond this point.
In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) go to Earth in order to get a gift that they hope will give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever — actor Kevin Bacon. The duo end up kidnapping Bacon, but soon discover that he's just an actor and not a genuine hero. They come up with the idea that they'll just have Bacon pretend to be a hero, which prompts the actor to do a pretty awful Batman impersonation.
It's a humorous moment, and another nod to the existence of the DC Comics characters in the MCU — though here they are just characters in stories, not actual "real" figures. Still, it's a fun moment and it marks the latest time that the MCU has confirmed that, at a minimum, the stories and characters from DC Comics exists in this world. Previously, Eternals saw Phastos' son, Jack, think that Ikaris was Superman. That film also saw Kingo's valet, Karun, referred to as Alfred — another Batman reference. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special reference is particularly entertaining when you consider that director James Gunn is himself sort of part of both the Marvel and DC worlds, having not only helmed the Guardians film series for Marvel, but also The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker for DC and is now overseeing things at DC Studios.
What is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special about?
Here's the description for Marvel's winter romp: "In The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Guardians, who are on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill, head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The Marvel Studios' Special Presentation stars Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn and The Old 97's with Michael Rooker and Kevin Bacon."
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney+.