The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Reminds Us Why These Are The Best MCU Characters

This piece contains spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special."

It's the year 2022 and Marvel Studios has just released a holiday special short starring the characters from "Guardians of the Galaxy." Seriously, just think about that for a second. Well over a decade removed from the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all the advancements that superhero media has made in the time since can make such once-unbelievable developments seem almost weirdly ... commonplace. Granted, the Avengers just defeated the Mad Titan Thanos and are already gearing up to give Kang the Conqueror the same treatment. After braving the multiverse, uniting three separate continuities of Spider-Mans, and even navigating a tragically T'Challa-less "Black Panther" movie, is the existence of a breezy, consequence-free "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" really worth raising eyebrows over?

Well, I'd say it is — just not for all the usual reasons to watch the latest Marvel movie or show.

When it comes to the true appeal of "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," feel free to forget all about its connections to or placement within the greater MCU. More than any other MCU production outside of the recent "Werewolf by Night" special, it doesn't derive its identity from a shared universe or cloyingly self-referential antics. Instead, this festive-themed short, centered on writer/director James Gunn's lovable losers, doesn't merely try to find the reason for the season. It gets to the heart of why so many of us became so invested in this franchise in the first place.

In short, it reminds us that it's about character. Of all the fan-favorite heroes to come and go over the years, this holiday special proves that the Guardians will always remain the best of the bunch. Here's why.

How many of the Marvel superheroes genuinely seem to like each other? It's a shocking question, especially for a franchise that prides itself on bringing franchise icons down to a more relatable level, but one that speaks volumes about just how different the Guardians are from the rest. Other than the incredibly strong bond between Steve Rogers and James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, I'd be hard-pressed to point out a single MCU feature film that grounds the story in bringing characters together — not out of convenience, desperation, or because New York City would be annihilated if they don't, but because the protagonists truly want to be together.

And then there are the Guardians.

Not only did both of James Gunn's movies repeatedly emphasize the found-family aspect of these misfits, but the "Holiday Special" doubles down on this by paying off that oddly heartwarming "Losers" speech from the first "Guardians" film. Making the plot specifically about Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) going to absurd lengths to kidnap Kevin Bacon (!) and redeem Christmas for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), for no ulterior motive beyond wanting to cheer him up, says it all. To paraphrase Quill, it's about "giving a s***."

Gunn deftly shifts tones from slapstick to sincerity by building moments of awe and wonder out of the most meaningful gestures. It would've been enough if Mantis and Drax had stopped at lighting up Knowhere in red and green, handing out presents among friends, or staging an outdoor concert with the Old 97's, as those were the gifts that turned Star-Lord back into a kid from Missouri again. By reminding us how much these characters love each other, the "Holiday Special" shows how a little heart goes a long way.

For a guy who got his start with the low-budget horror studio Troma, it's somewhat surreal to see how James Gunn has turned the Guardians of the Galaxy into household names that parents, kids, and everyone in between can say they love to watch. Between "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" and now his newly-revitalized administrative duties, Gunn's DC commitments would seem to provide the best possible outlet for his more crass and unfiltered instincts to come out and play. But with "Guardians" in general and the "Holiday Special" in particular, the filmmaker has tapped into an important quality that feels rarer in the MCU than ever before — earnestness.

How many Marvel movies or shows can say they build such emotionally charged moments right into the DNA of the script? While recent MCU vintage delivers occasional touching moments such as Namor coming up with his chosen name in "Wakanda Forever," Jane Foster's final grace note in "Thor: Love and Thunder," or Kamala Khan coming into her own in "Ms. Marvel" (funny how these memorable moments tend to involve marginalized individuals!), none can compete with how both "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies and now the "Holiday Special" all do away with the quippy cynicism that has taken over far too many MCU productions.

Here, Gunn's usual irreverent sense of humor never threatens to overwhelm the pathos he strives for. Heartfelt scenes like Quill's rotoscoped childhood memories of Yondu, Knowhere transformed into a winter wonderland, and Mantis' admission that she's Quill's half-sister providing the best present of all hit just as hard as anything in "Vol. 1" or "Vol. 2."

It's not the brand synergy or the Easter eggs that make the "Holiday Special" worth watching. It's the Guardians of the freakin' Galaxy.