With so many new Marvel Studios projects coming around this year and next, it can be easy to forget about some of the ones still making that years-long trek from announcement to release. One such project is James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which many may understandably not realize is actually a real thing.

Well, it’s very real, and it’s got a targeted premiere window to prove it. With a cast of returning favorites like Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and the rest ofthe Guardians of the Galaxy gang, audiences have plenty to look forward to in the ever-shortening wait before they can finally see the special. But while its upcoming holiday season release has already been well-established, there’s still one aspect of it that tickles the curiosities of fans: will it be set before or after the upcomingGuardians of the GalaxyandThormovies?

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Luckily, Gunn himself has the answer for the curious multitudes. Taking to Twitter, as the director often does for such things, he gave a no-nonsense response when one fan inquired about the time frame. “The #GotGHolidaySpecial comes between [Thor: Love and Thunder] and #GotGVol3, with new stories & characters connected to theGuardiansuniverse,” he said, further adding some tidbits hinting at what fans canexpect from theGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. So there’s a concrete answer about the timeline, but what does it mean for the story?

Thor: Love and Thunderis set to feature the characters fromGuardians of the Galaxyto a degree, but it appears as though they might not be a particularly huge part of the story. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) decided to travel with the Guardians after the events ofAvengers: Endgame, so it was pretty much a given that the two would share another movie. The thing is, this is still aThormovie, which includes both Hemsworth and nowNatalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thoras she becomes the new wielder of the mighty hammer Mjölnir. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Guardians themselves take a back seat without getting much in the way of important story development, especially given how Taika Waititi is in charge ofLove and Thunderrather than Gunn.

Details aboutGuardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, however, are decidedly less known. But based on previous movies, the presence of Saldaña as an alternate version of Gamora - after the one who is known to the team tragically died at the hands of Thanos - could give a hint as to the focus. It seems likely that the bulk of her character development, particularly as essentially a new character wearing the face of an old friend, will take place inVol. 3. But it could also be split up between the 3 productions, with an introductory storyline happening inLove and ThunderwhiletheGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialandVol. 3flesh her out even more.

However things go, it will be interesting to see how the story of the Guardians plays out.TheGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialwill star Pratt and Saldaña, along with Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, and Bradley Cooper as their already beloved characters, so that’s always something to look forward to.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialis set to release in December on Disney Plus.

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