Kevin Bacon makes his MCU debut as Kevin Bacon in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The iconic actor has been the subject of Star-Lord’s (Chris Pratt) adoration since the first Guardians movie was released, and it has been an Easter egg that has finally been paid off with James Gunn’s festive offering on Disney+. One of the people most excited about the whole thing is Bacon himself.

Speaking to the New York Post, Bacon explained how it was great to be able to “goof around,” which is something he says movies are all about. He said:

Bacon also recalled the moment he realized he had been name-checked in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Having gone to a theater on his own to see it, he found it an all-around strange experience. He continued:

“Listen, I love to do that kind of stuff. To me, movies are this giant playground. I get to play and a grown man gets to just goof around and have fun. I take the work very seriously, but in the case of something like ‘Guardians,’ you have to stop sometimes and go, ‘Oh, s- -t, this is really cool!’ I got a really, really fun gig.”

“I was really shocked. I went to the movie without knowing that that’s what was going to happen. And if you could imagine sitting there in a dark room with strangers — I was all alone — and all of a sudden they’re talking about me. I have pretty weird experiences in my life just based on, you know, what I do for a living. But that one was pretty weird.”

James Gunn Revealed Kevin Bacon to Be His Favorite Character in the Special

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Kevin Bacon’s appearance in the MCU has been a long time coming, and for James Gunn, it has been one of his happiest moments. Before the announcement of Kevin Bacon’s involvement in the special became official, Gunn teased that the “greatest MCU character ever” would be part of it. That, of course, led to much speculation about which Marvel Comics icon could be making an appearance in the newest outing of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

While some of those theories were pretty outlandish, no one has been too disappointed by Bacon’s reveal as that “greatest” character, who provides a significant plot point with his presence. In the special, Pratt’s Star Lord is still not in a great place, thanks to the death of Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. This leads Drax and Mantis to decide that they will do something special to cheer him up. This turns out to involve kidnapping Kevin Bacon and bringing him to Star-Lord in order to allow their leader to meet his long-time hero.

With the usual sense of fun that comes with the Guardians movies, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a light-hearted story that is probably needed right before things get a little more serious for the group next summer. The Holiday Special arrives on Disney+ this Friday, November 25.