The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Continues A Number Of James Gunn's Favorite Themes

Raccoons with rockets and problems with fathers,

Wandering weirdos solving their bothers, 

Holiday cheer and all that it brings —

These are a few of Gunn's favorite things!

"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is many things. It's a fun little bit of festive frivolity. It's an excuse to have Kevin Bacon play himself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's the epilogue of phase 4 of the MCU. More than all of these things, however, it's the most James Gunn holiday special imaginable. The writer and director has called the special the "greatest thing he's ever done," and it's full of many of his regular staples. While Gunn's movies and TV shows all vary tonally and can be wildly different, there are some pretty major themes that run through his work. 

Many of his creations deal with reclaiming a lost childhood, found family, misfits in funny situations, and seriously sweet soundtracks full of nostalgic needle-drops, and "The Guardians of the Galaxy Special" is no different. Let's take a look at all of the great things that make this holiday special a true Gunn creation that carries on many of his cinematic traditions. 

Warning: minor spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" follows below.

If there's one theme that's consistent throughout Gunn's filmography, it's characters with a sense of delayed adolescence. From Nathan Fillion's lovelorn Sheriff Bill Pardy and Elizabeth Banks' beautiful biology teacher Starla Grant longing for their high school days in "Slither," to Mantis trying to give Peter the perfect Christmas to make up for the ones he never had as a child in the holiday special, a second chance at youthful joy is a Gunn staple. Almost every protagonist in Gunn's filmography has some kind of daddy issues, including Peter, and "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" confronts some of those daddy issues head-on, helping Peter find some positive feelings for both his biological father, Ego (Kurt Russell), and big blue Yondu. 

Many of the characters in the holiday special have problems with their families, but by the end of their holiday celebrations they realize that the family they've built with each other is just as good as any biological ties. The Guardians are a found family, much like the surviving members of the Suicide Squad and the 11th Street Kids from "Peacemaker." Watching two members of this big, weird family try to figure out how to get the best Christmas present ever for another member is the perfect kind of sweetness the holidays need. Of course, Gunn picked the two characters whose journey would be the funniest. 

While some audiences don't appreciate Gunn's grosser, goofier sense of humor that harkens back to his days working at Troma Entertainment, it's hard to deny just how great he is at creating funny fish-out-of-water scenarios. Putting characters in absurd situations is always fun, and is a Marvel staple as well. (Remember Chris Hemsworth's Thor in the coffee shop back in the first "Thor" film?) Drax and Mantis are pretty much always a bit confused about their situation because they're both from far-off worlds with extremely different cultures. In the holiday special, they take a trip to Earth to find Peter's hero, Kevin Bacon, and bring him back as a present. Along the way, they have a total blast partying with some locals, checking out the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and stealing Bacon's Christmas decorations. 

The best part is that the trope gets spun on its head when Bacon has to interact with the many bizarre inhabitants of the planet he's taken to and he becomes the one who's in over his head. No matter how the situation is played, though, it's always in good fun. This holiday special has heartfelt humor as sweet as a sugar cookie.

If there's something Gunn loves as much as comic books and movies, it's music. His movie soundtracks are a delightful mix of classic tunes and deep cuts, and the holiday special features some brand new jams from a surprising source. There's an alien band called Bzermikitokolok and the Knowheremen, played by the real-life members of the band Old 97's, Gunn's favorite band. They end up performing for the Guardians and all of their friends, having written a song called "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime is Here)." The director has found ways to include most of his other favorite bands on soundtracks, but it took a little while to figure out how to bring the Old 97's into his work. Not only do they get to be aliens and perform an original song, joining the ranks of the MCU, but they get to perform alongside Bacon, a musician himself who tours as The Bacon Brothers with his brother Michael. 

Having one of America's cinematic treasures perform alongside his favorite band is the kind of thing that only James Gunn could possibly pull off, but that's why he's the perfect man to make a holiday special. His love for everything he makes is evident onscreen, and it's hard not to feel a bit of that love yourself. His enthusiasm and passion are a huge part of everything he touches, making for a truly heartfelt holiday treat.