Peter Quill and the gang returned earlier than expected for The Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special. The short presentation premiered on Disney+ at the end of November 2022 with a high view count and favorable reception among critics and fans alike. The special, directed by James Gunn, was clearly a tribute to the beloved flop of The Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. Needless to say, that one did not do nearly as well.

It is easy to see today what made the original special such a flop. The late 70s feature presentation tried what was a usually successful premise – making a quick and cheap Christmas segment on a popular brand as a holiday cash-grab. The first movie premiered one year before the special, at a time when people were just about going mad for anything Star Wars-related. The galaxy far, far away was not what it is today, a multimedia franchise with an expanded universe all under the Disney umbrella.

The Marvel special clearly took note of this and created an homage that stands where the original failed. The changes make for a more solid presentation and a good basis for the future. Here’s what 2022’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special learned from the 1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special.

Update December 16, 2023, by Amanda Minchin: Geeks and nerds alike will be glad to get even more of the inside scoop on these beloved treasures.

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Lesson One: Outer Space Meets More Earthly Traditions

Both Guardians and Star Wars coincide in their general philosophies of peace across the galaxy. The main advantage the MCU has over Star Wars is that Star-Lord’s story is deeply rooted in the world as we know it. Whereas The Star Wars Holiday Special was forced to create coinciding holidays and traditions for them within the confines of their universe, Quill could just as easily have introduced the gang to the Christmas we all know, but as he remembered it.

The Star Wars Holiday Special was, in its own way, a celebration of earthly holiday traditions in the form of a family celebration. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, however, was given an especially bizarre turn in coming up with the enigmatic “Life Day”, an event that vaguely resembled the holiday season on earth. It was much easier to bring the Guardians to Earth’s traditions due to Peter Quill’s backstory of having come from the planet as a young boy, likely at the height of childhood enjoyment for the season.

It was clever to use this particular Marvel franchise for a holiday special, even if they are not remotely as popular as Star Wars is and was. Though clearly well-known and lovable enough to deserve a Christmas presentation, choosing the Guardians was a nice balance between popularity and flexibility, meaning they could bend this universe enough to allow holiday themes. The spaceship could be decorated with all the lights and tinsel that Christmas enthusiasts have come to love.

Lesson Two: Characters and Guest Appearances Were Handled With Care

Both The Guardians of the Galaxy and the members of the Rebel Alliance know all about the importance of found family, one that both took clear advantage of when it came to their cameos.

Usually, sci-fi movies and shows like Star Trek are forced to create some new-fangled extraterrestrial character to accommodate a one-time celebrity appearance. That’s exactly what the Star Wars special did with Beatrice Arthur and Art Carney. While there was nothing wrong with those cameos and how they were treated, they fell just short of memorable. Without the Scooby-Doo advantage of animated cameos at their side, the characters just felt forced. The intention behind them was more related to bringing famous actors and actresses to appeal to adult audiences accompanying children. Plus, no one could unsee the meet and greet with Chewbacca’s family, including his father Itchy, his wife Malla, and his son Lumpy.

In contrast, MCU’s special relied on a more established tradition of a family Christmas special with the introduction of Kevin Bacon, as well, Kevin Bacon. Much like in his infamous Will & Grace cameo, the special opted for a modern “celebrity roasting himself” approach with Bacon. The jury might be out on how well that went, but it’s undeniable that it was, without a doubt, difficult to forget.

The other major advantage The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special had was focusing on characters audiences actually knew and wanted to see more of. While Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2D2, C3PO and Chewbacca are all present in the Star Wars Holiday Special, they are seen briefly with the majority of the screentime dedicated to Chewbacca’s family and guest appearances from celebrities. People tuning into Star Wars tend to want Star Wars characters they know and love, a tradition that stands even true today.

In contrast, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special puts the emphasis on Mantis and Drax for most of the run time, with Star-Lord getting a good amount of screen time. While fans may have wanted a bit more of Rocket, Groot, and Nebula, they still get a decent amount of screen time and some great moments.

Lesson Number Three: Guardians Used Music To Their Advantage

It almost wouldn’t be a holiday special without a jammin’ carol or two, and both Holiday Specials had their fair share of both. The Star Wars Holiday Special featured performances from California rockers Jefferson Starship alongside Diahann Carroll, whereas The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special boasts a hilarious Old 97s parody alongside an actual album, which should come as no surprise considering the Guardians films have made their musical interludes a steady part of their plot.

In breaking it down, The Star Wars Holiday Special was set up much like a variety show, but with Wookiees (seriously, imagine THAT sing-along). They were, in a word, trippy… more of a concert in a field vibe than a holiday special.

The musical cameos were much more balanced in James Gunn’s special. The parody hit the right note, setting the tone for how alien life forms may describe this earthly holiday. Of course, there were plenty of classic and off-the-wall Christmas favorites, from “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, to “I Want an Alien for Christmas” by Fountains of Wayne, to “Christmastime” by the Smashing Pumpkins, and, of course, “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses.

Their musical moments had a more prominent role and singalong vibe than Jefferson Starship’s cameo. While the 70s bands were certainly more popular than their contemporary counterparts, the presentation didn’t feel at all random. The music in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special hit so much that the Kevin Bacon cover of “Here It Is Christmastime” made the Billboard 100 Charts that Christmas.

Lesson Number Four: Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Does Set Up A Future Film

One of the most notable aspects of The Star Wars Holiday Special was that the special was the first appearance of Boba Fett, who would play a role in the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, two years later. This acted as a way to incentivize young fans to see the special and to get a sneak peek at a major new character. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special does something similar, as the special was shot at the same time as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (hence why most of it takes place at Knowhere, as they built the massive set for the film).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features some small setups that will pay off in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was released six months later. The first and most obvious is the presence of Cosmo the Space Dog. While Cosmo was teased in Guardians of the Galaxy, the special introduces her as part of the team before she becomes a full-fledged member in the third film. Just like The Star Wars: Holiday Special, this made The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special more than just a fun one-off but a piece of the puzzle that fans would want to see. Yet The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday special was able to stand on its own where whereas The Star Wars Holiday Special is now more remembered for how much everyone involved hated making it.

Are More Disney Marvel Specials Coming?

Is Disney planning to make its top franchises hold annual specials? Boy, we wish! Now that the Guardians have learned the ways of the Jedi and perfected the practice, the possibility is open. Holiday Specials are a genre per se, and the 2022 version’s success proves that they found a good formula to do it. Disney’s MCU and Star Wars franchises both have enough content to find characters that are flexible enough to celebrate Christmas without seeming out of place.

Far from dubbing The Star Wars Holiday Special as a simple flop, it’s worthwhile noting that the idea was in the right place, but poorly executed. More than 40 years later, the same structure proved functional for a whole new set of space travelers. Who knows who might travel into near-distant galaxies in the future?

Stream The Guardians of the Galaxy’s Holiday Special on Disney+.