The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special subtly teased the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Primarily starring Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), the two Guardians embarked on a quest to give Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever. However, the Holiday Special also foreshadowed the recently released final chapter of the Guardians franchise.
Without question, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special helps set the stage for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This includes the reveal that Mantis and Star-Lord are siblings with Mantis’ admission that the Celestial Ego was her father too. However, Drax subtly teased the ending of the new movie after hearing a Christmas story from Kraglin (Sean Gunn).
Drax’s Complaint In The Holiday Special Teases Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3’s Ending
After hearing Kraglin’s tale about Yondu and his initial hatred of Christmas, Mantis can’t help but feel sad about the awful story. Although Drax agrees, it’s only because he hates “stories where everyone lives”. This is almost certainly a subtle tease and reference to Guardians 3, seeing as how everyone in the main cast of heroes lives by the end of the film.
Humorously, it seems as though writer and director James Gunn presumed there would be viewers who would share the same sentiment regarding all the Guardians surviving to the very end. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 still has plenty of emotional resonance and turmoil thanks to Rocket’s Raccoon’s traumatic past as well as the pure evil of the villainous High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Likewise, it also allowed Gunn to give each Guardian closure with a satisfying and bright future for each of them.
Other Subtle Holiday Special Jokes That Were Paid Off In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special also has plenty of jokes that were similarly paid off in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. For example, Drax refusing to give Mantis any zarg-nuts in the sequel is likely because Mantis allegedly ate an entire stock of the nuts herself in Knowhere’s commissary, something Drax was upset about in the Holiday Special. Likewise, Mantis’ enthusiastic “HELLOOO!” greeting is first heard in the Holiday Special, and she repeatedly calls Drax an idiot, setting up her confrontation with Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 where she defends Drax despite his lack of intelligence.
