The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has become another one of the MCU’s successes, garnering some of the best critical scores yet. The story is unique for not featuring any central conflict and focusing on the Guardians employing the services of Kevin Bacon to cheer up Star-Lord.
With such a premise, there were bound to be quotes that hit the emotional bone. These words range from Star-Lord’s acceptance of Mantis as his sister to funny lines that reflect Drax’s over-the-top nature. The quotes also offer surprising insight into the characters’ personalities, so it’s worth taking a deeper look at them.
“You Got Me A Human Being As A Present?”
Star-Lord To The Guardians
The special didn’t address how wrong it was for Drax and Mantis to kidnap a person for quite a while, with none of the characters even thinking about how Kevin Bacon was taken against his will. This is why it was so satisfying to hear Star-Lord lose it when he realized what his gift was.
Star-Lord let the Guardians have it for abducting a person and thinking there wasn’t anything wrong with it, as this quote highlighted just how bizarre it actually was. It was also what Mantis and Drax needed to hear for them to learn not to go overboard with their enthusiasm.
“Hello, I’m The Batman.”
Kevin Bacon Pretends To Be A Hero
There have been subtle mentions of the DC Universe in previous MCU efforts, but none as blatant as the one in the special. When Mantis commanded Kevin Bacon to act like a hero, he came up with an imitation of Batman, proving that DC Comics exists in the MCU.
It was a silly moment, yet one that shows just how expansive the MCU has become that it even acknowledges other comic book universes. Bacon’s Batman quote was also funny because it got Mantis and Drax to instantly despise him.
“You Taught Him How To Be A Hero.”
Kraglin To Kevin Bacon
Kraglin was usually seen as the Guardian member who was a pushover and didn’t say much apart from when embarrassing himself. However, this quote showed that he’s matured a lot over the years, as he got Kevin Bacon to stay for Star-Lord’s sake.
Kraglin told Bacon that Star-Lord saw him as a hero and that his dance moves actually saved the entire galaxy in the conflict against Ronan. If it hadn’t been for Kraglin, then Kevin Bacon would never have changed his opinion of the Guardians and celebrated Christmas with them.
“I Want The Little Funny Man?”
Drax To Mantis
Drax didn’t change much compared to the rest of the Guardians, still remaining hilariously out of touch. This was shown in the best way when Mantis asked him if he was more interested in getting the stuffed elf he was so attached to or proving his friendship with Star-Lord.
As expected, Drax went with wanting the elf, which made for another funny moment with the character. It’s also the reason why he’s one of the best Guardians of the Galaxy characters since his cluelessness has an adorable touch to it.
“Now We Gotta Have Another Special.”
Rocket To The Viewer
Given that the special has become one of the most acclaimed MCU Phase Four releases, this quote of Rocket’s might just come true. It was a reference to the lighthearted setting of the story, as it turned out to be the only MCU feature so far not to have an antagonist.
Rocket was also uncharacteristically sedate during the special, which is why his cheeky line in the post-credits scene was welcome as it reflected his personality. The MCU has been breaking the fourth wall quite a lot as of late, so this quote didn’t seem out of place either.
“I Can’t Believe You Guys Did All That For Me.”
Star-Lord To Mantis.
The Guardians tend to give each other a hard time, to the point where it’s a big deal if they address each other as normal people would. For this reason, Star-Lord had difficulties understanding why the team went to such lengths to make Christmas special for him.
The quote also doubled as Star-Lord realized that his team loved him more than he gave them credit for, as they took the time to get him out of his depression from losing Gamora. It was a sign that it might be time for him to move on thanks to the love and support of his friends.
“Wow, I Guess All Actors Aren’t Complete Pieces Of S**t.”
Nebula Reflects On Kevin Bacon
It takes quite a lot for someone to impress the Guardians, which Kevin Bacon managed and then some. Drax and Mantis had earlier made it very clear that they hated Bacon when they learned he was an actor, so it’s impressive that he turned this around.
Nebula wasn’t very impressed with Bacon herself, but she was the one who acknowledged that he was a good guy in the end. Additionally, it was a way for the MCU to relay to viewers that actors are also people and shouldn’t be judged.
“Bucky’s Arm?”
Rocket To Nebula
Easily the biggest reactions to the Guardians special on Twitter went toward the reveal that Nebula had snagged Bucky’s arm to gift Rocket. This came out of nowhere since the joke about Rocket wanting the arm was a throwaway gag in the heat of battle several years ago.
Still, Rocket’s delivery of the quote showed a rare moment where he was at a loss for words and understood that it was a sentimental gift. While there’s still the fact that Nebula beat up Bucky and stole his arm, Rocket’s quote still carries surprising emotional overtones.
“I’ve Got Some Friends Here Who Kind Of Need To Learn About Christmas.”
Kevin Bacon Decides To Stay
There was a cheesy element to the finale of the special, but it worked well considering the whole story was centered around a feel-good premise. Here, Kevin Bacon received a call from his wife asking to come home, only for him to decide on spending a little more time with the Guardians.
What made this relatively corny quote so great was that it conveyed that the Guardians really did need some love in their lives. Bacon realized that they had acted out of the need for the holiday spirit, and took it upon himself to provide the rag-tag group of misfits with some good times.
“That’s The Greatest Christmas Gift I Could Ever Get.”
Star-Lord To Mantis
Being rejected is one of the worst fears of every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with the special centering around Mantis’. She didn’t have anything to worry about, though, as Star-Lord happily accepted the fact that he and Mantis were brother and sister.
Funnily enough, all the events of the special were technically unneeded since Star-Lord considered the revelation that he had a family member by his side to be the greatest gift of all. The quote was good to hear because it finally brought Star-Lord a biological member of his family he could now be with.
