The special was produced by Marvel Studios, and follows the Guardians of the Galaxy as they celebrate Christmas and search for a present for their leader, Peter Quill.

Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, and Michael Rooker reprise their roles as the Guardians from previous MCU media, with the special also featuring the band Old 97's and Kevin Bacon as a fictionalized version of himself.

Filming occurred from February to late April 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia, and Los Angeles, during the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

After spending time at Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a bar, they get a map of celebrities' residences and find Bacon's home in Beverly Hills.

After the celebration, Quill reveals to Mantis that Yondu eventually changed his mind about Christmas and gifted him a pair of blasters which now serve as his primary weapons.

[18][19] The Holiday Special was the first piece of content Marvel Studios planned to create for Disney+, and was originally conceived by Gunn during the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

[20] Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum, Sara Smith, and Simon Hatt serve as executive producers, alongside Gunn.

[24][20] It took Gunn a few hours to write the script, and he noted featuring Kevin Bacon was a quick inclusion once he had figured out the story for the special.

Gunn decided to focus on the Drax and Mantis relationship in the special because he felt those characters had been "sidelined" in their appearances outside of the Guardians of the Galaxy films between Vol.

"[4] Mantis actress Pom Klementieff called the Holiday Special "very goofy and very funny and cute" while "also very rooted in something much, much deeper and more beautiful and heartfelt".

[29] The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special sees Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and Sean Gunn all reprising their MCU roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Rocket, Nebula, Mantis, and Kraglin Obfonteri,[1][5][9] respectively, along with Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta.

[9][10] Kevin Bacon was revealed to be starring in the special as a fictionalized version of himself in October 2022,[11] along with Maria Bakalova voicing Cosmo the Spacedog ahead of her role in Vol.

[8] Filming occurred around the Atlanta Country Club in late March, with various Christmas-themed decorations being used,[39] and at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on April 28, with Bautista and Klementieff.

[45] The special's soundtrack, consisting of Murphy's score and two original songs, was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on November 23, 2022.

Lamadrid noted how it depicted "one of the series' classic jokes in charming fashion", particularly Peter Quill referring to Kevin Bacon as "the greatest hero on Earth" in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

[29] Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was the top-streamed film in the United States for the week ending November 27, 2022.

The site's critic's consensus states: "More of a stocking stuffer than a fully-rounded parcel, this yuletide excursion is a delightful showcase for Drax, Mantis, and a very game Kevin Bacon.

[60] Jordan Moreau of Variety felt the special was "stuffed with funny, feel-good Christmas joy, and it's one of the best pieces of content Marvel Studios has released in years."

[61] Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter felt that the special was "funny enough to provoke out-loud laughter and poignant enough to elicit that telltale sting behind the eyes, if not quite enough to draw full-on tears.

Maybe it lacks the heft of a true Guardians feature or series, but it's exactly the holiday confection you'd want from this motley crew: shiny, fluffy and just odd enough to feel personal" and lauded the "delightfully eclectic" soundtrack.

Han also felt that the special became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe entry to have a Christmas-themed story instead of setting it in December to coincide with the holiday, such as Iron Man 3 (2013) and Hawkeye (2021).

However, Han noted the special being "as slick a bit of marketing as they come... to remind audiences how much we love these characters, who haven't headlined a big-screen adventure in five years [since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

2 (2017)]", and how it had a script "sprinkled with crumbs of awkward exposition" and was "underwritten by the kind of studio clout and money that can get a Kevin Bacon to show up and hang out with aliens for a few days.

Evangelista noted that majority of the Guardians only did quick cameos, particularly Peter Quill, Rocket, and Groot, but saw Klementieff and Bautista's characters "an unlikely but very amusing pair".