Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special.

Thor: Love and Thunder, the Guardians now return for a low-stakes Holiday adventure prompted by the Guardians’ wish of finding Quill a gift.

While The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is more of a comedic adventure that cleverly pays off Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 were left out of the Holiday Special, but the MCU’s newest special presentation is not at all a filler. In addition to the shocking reveal that Mantis is Peter Quill’s sister, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special establishes that the Guardians are not flying "The Benatar" but rather a new M-ship. Given the Benatar's role in other MCU projects, its absence for the special presentation is somewhat confusing. However, given the release's place in the MCU timeline, after Love and Thunder, the presence of the new ship could be a consequence of an expanded crew or another off-screen incident. As Gunn himself explained (via Twitter) the Benatar "...still exists it’s just much smaller." This suggests the crew's move is a necessary upgrade.

Related: Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Cast & Cameo Guide

Guardians of the Galaxy's New Ship Is The Bowie

The Bowie in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

As revealed by Quill, the Guardians of the Galaxy’s new ship is called “The Bowie”. A well-deserved tribute to music legend David Bowie, the Guardians of the Galaxy’s Bowie actually comes from the comics. Guardians of the Galaxy #6 (2019), which obviously borrowed a lot from what the MCU has done with the Guardians of the Galaxy since Phase 2, saw Peter Quill flying the “Starship Bowie”. Prior to the Starship Bowie, Quill had named their other ship "Ryder" after actress Winona Ryder. That said, the idea of Quill naming the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship after 1980s icons stemmed from the MCU.

In Facebook), naming the new ship “Bowie” makes a lot of sense.

What Happened To The Guardians Benatar?

Guardians of the Galaxy in Thor Love and Thunder

At the end of Endgame, Thor ed the Guardians of the Galaxy on the Benatar, which had not been part of the action in Endgame’s latter half. The Benatar returned in Love and Thunder, a movie that opened with Thor and the Guardians answering distress calls across the galaxy. The Benatar was even part of Thor’s workout routine, and it served as a weight for him to lift. Despite Thor’s goats causing a lot of trouble inside the ship, the Benatar was still flyable by the time Thor and Korg parted ways with the Guardians. As such, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’s Bowie is most likely a secondary ship – a thesis seemingly confirmed by Gunn's Twitter comments.

Next: Guardians Of The Galaxy: Holiday Special Post-Credits Scene Explained

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