Why is Kevin Bacon in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?
Marvel just dropped the first look at its second Special Presentation this year, carrying on from when we last saw the Guardians of the Galaxy, this time, with a very special guest.
The upcoming American television special, written and directed by James Gunn for Disney+ is intended to be the second Marvel Studios Special Presentation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Michael Giacchino’s Werewolf By Night earlier this month.
Described by Gunn as one of his "favourite stories ever”, the 40 minute-long short was inspired by Gunn’s fascination with the Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978 and will help set up material for Volume 3 in the Guardians series, while also concluding Phase IV of the MCU.
The special follows the Guardians of the Galaxy as they celebrate Christmas and search for a present for their leader Peter Quill, who still mourns the loss of Gamora since 2019’s Avengers Endgame. Here’s the trailer for the TV special:
In fine Christmas spirit, Drax and Mantis take it upon themselves to cheer Quill up, and what better way to do that then gifting him his childhood hero himself: Kevin Bacon. But what is the deal behind Kevin Bacon’s appearance in the MCU and why is he relevant to the Guardians?
The actor's seemingly random cameo in the MCU is in fact an ode to references made over 8 years to Bacon’s 80s musical drama,
Though Gunn’s Guardians is famous for its fantastic soundtrack selection and pop culture references, Quill’s preoccupation with Bacon and Footloose became the most memorable recurring gag across multiple films.
The 1984 musical directed by Herbert Ross tells the story of Bacon’s Ren McCormack, a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, where he attempts to overturn the ban on dancing instituted by the efforts of a local minister.
The film received mixed reviews from the critics but became a box office hit, grossing $80 million in North America, best known for the Academy award nominated songs from its soundtrack - “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” by Deniece Williams.
While Footloose is about repression in a small religious community over free dancing, Peter Quill had always looked at the story as being real. In Quill’s mind, Bacon’s Ren became a hero of earth because he was the greatest dancer in the world.
Throwing back to 2015’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the story of Footloose played an important role in getting Gamora out of her shell, as Quill teaches her to express herself more freely through dance; a thematic parallel to the 80s cult classic.
Bacon himself respond to references to him and his character in the film saying,
The final segment of Footloose involves an iconic highschool prom dance-off inside a barn, featuring the entire cast of characters breaking a leg. Knowing Gunn, the TV special should in all likelihood end in an ode to the very same as well.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is scheduled to release on Disney+ Hotstar on November 25, 2022.