Credit: MarvelMark Hamill’s online presence is somewhat famous. From revealing hidden pieces of Star Wars trivia to sharing heartfelt messages about his co-stars — like remembering the late Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) — to even reacting to dogs being scared of his father Darth Vader, Hamill has become a huge part of the social media space, with his commentary offering a refreshing take on a celebrity platform.
Now, the actor is reacting to the famous The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special script.
Hamill first shot to fame when he appeared as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977). The massive, runaway success of George Lucas’s space opera spawned a mammoth pop culture phenomenon, with Hamill reprising his role as the Jedi Knight in the sequels, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).
Hamill brought Skywalker back to our screens more recently as he joined other original trilogy alum, Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Fisher, in the Walt Disney Studios sequel trilogy — Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Before this, Hamill voiced The Joker in the critically acclaimed DC comic book television show, Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995).
While Hamill appeared in these blockbuster movies that make up parts of the greater Skywalker Saga in the Star Wars franchise, there is another infamous Star Wars project that the cast was involved in.
The term “Holiday Special” is sure to ignite a heavy sigh from those interested in the entertainment world. Holiday Specials are renowned for bringing together a fictional world with reality, often seeing fan-favorite characters exist in real-life holidays like Christmas and Star Wars had a famous one.
It earned a notorious reputation and to this day has never been officially released or re-aired on television. It even had the first on-screen appearance of Boba Fett. It’s safe to say that the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) is securely locked away in the Lucasfilm vaults.
In the theme of crossovers, a Marvel director has recently shared a first look at an all-new Holiday Special script. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will reunite director James Gunn with the cast of the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), such as Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer.
Gunn shared the image giving Marvel fans a teaser of the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
This is the wrapping. The present is inside. #GotGHS
This is the wrapping. The present is inside. #GotGHS ???? pic.twitter.com/NqDw5s6ed8
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2021
In a rather hilarious turn of events, Mark Hamill retweeted the tweet saying:
I have a very bad feeling about this…
I have a very bad feeling about this… https://t.co/JkZs7hamVA
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) April 23, 2021
Hamill’s hark back to the famous Star Wars catchphrase — which is up there with the likes of “May the force be with you” — is funny in itself, but when tied with the notoriety of the Star Wars Holiday Special, takes it to a whole new level of hilarity. If Hamill’s appearance as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy is the most divisive and his cameo in Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian Season 2 his most surprising, then his role in the Star Wars Holiday Special has to be the most absurd.
The Star Wars Holiday Special has become somewhat of an urban legend, going on to earn an almost cult status. It also became a burden in the careers of the Star Wars cast and even George Lucas himself. Here’s hoping that the Guardians of the Galaxy special performs better than Star Wars‘ take on the variety-style television broadcast.
What is the Star Wars Holiday Special?
The Star Wars Holiday Special is set after the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Per Wookiepedia, the synopsis reads:
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 made-for-TV movie based on a story by George Lucas. The main storyline of the film transpires on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk. Chewbacca and Han Solo visit the planet to celebrate the Wookiee holiday Life Day with his family, which includes his wife Malla, his son Lumpy, and his father Itchy. As Chewbacca and Han are known Rebel agents, they are pursued by the Galactic Empire, who in the process invade Chewbacca’s household.
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will debut sometime in 2022 as part of Kevin Feige’s MCU. The special is written and directed by Gunn and will be distributed on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+.
The Suicide Squad (2021) director also recently revealed that the special will take place in between the events of Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder — the new Chris Hemsworth adventure that also sees Natalie Portman return as Jane Foster — and the third installment in the Guardians series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. And if you’re wanting to spend time with the Avengers before, you can find them Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! in Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort, or in the soon to open Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT at Walt Disney World.
A LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which was inspired by the 1978 special, was released in 2020.
Are you excited for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special?