The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialwas a lovely little holiday romp through an alien Christmas party. But it also had some significant events for Marvel canon that made thespecial presentationa pretty big deal. The biggest one fans are talking about is Nebula gifting Rocket Bucky Barnes’ vibranium arm. People are rushing to come up with explanations of how it happened. And when James Gunn gave his explanation on Twitter,fans were not happy. But the director’s tweet might not be so canonical, especially when the next Marvel director will have the job of explaining just how Nebula got Bucky’s arm.
When Nebula gave Rocket the Winter Soldier’s arm, the movie offered no explanation. It seemed impossible. Perhaps this was one of James Gunn’s last jokes on Marvel before leaving to captain the DCU. But there are a few more concrete ways of explaining what might’ve happened despite Gunn’s disappointing explanation.The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialmight affect the MCU in more significant ways than anyone thought as Rocket gets a new arm and the Guardians take up residence in Knowhere. Things are set up forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Come with us as we explore some fan theories of how Nebula might’ve gotten a hold of Bucky’s arm.
Theory: It’s Not Bucky’s Real Arm
Rocket has always wanted the Winter Soldier’s arm ever since they fought side by side inAvengers: Infinity War. Back then, it was just a joke referencing Rocket’s affinity for stealing robotic body parts. But it seems Rocket was a good boy this Christmas because Santa brought him exactly what he wanted. But how didNebula get the arm? In theHoliday Special,she just dropped the thing right in front of him, offering no explanation for how it got there. But it’s possible it’s not even the real thing.
Related:How the Guardians of the Galaxy Owning Knowhere Could Affect the MCU
Now it’s not tough to track Bucky’s arm. The Wakandans first gave him that vibranium arm at the start ofInfinity War,and he still had it inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. During the Blip in between, Bucky’s arm dusted along with the rest of him. But inside those five years, Nebula was on Earth the entire time. One theory is that she and Tony Stark could have been making backup equipment for all of the Avengers while they desperately hoped for their return. Or Nebula could have made a false one using parts from her twin.
So this arm we see now might be a duplicate from Earth. Maybe Nebula went and retrieved it from Earth, perhaps someone stole it, and it traveled across the universe until it found its way into the Collector’s collection on Knowhere.
Theory: Mantis “Persuaded” Bucky to Give it to her
After only just discovering Christmas, Mantis and Drax went all the way to Earth to kidnap Kevin Bacon to get Peter Quill an awesome present. But what if they picked up something else while they were there? It’s entirely possible that while they were out, Nebula requested they get a kingly gift for Rocket as well. Especially once it came to be that everyone would exchange presents, Nebula might’ve asked that Mantis and Drax fetch something for her once they were on Earth.
Related:MCU’s Thunderbolts: Will Sentry Be the First Villain for the Anti-Hero Team?
If Mantis came to Bucky instead of Nebula, it would make the whole… transaction… much simpler. There wouldn’t be a fight or any disagreement. All Mantis would have to do is put her hand on Bucky and say the magic words. Then he would have gladly detached his arm with that little quick-release button we saw Okoye use inInfinity War. It’s a big plot point to keep off-screen, but it’s possible.
James Gunn’s Tweet
After a large fan uproar about what the heck was going on,James Gunn finally revealedwhat happened, but it only made fans angrier. Gunn said:
“Nebula thinks of Bucky as wet crepe paper. That said, she couldn’t help tearing off the arm because she was just feeling so freaking Christmasy!”
Fans of the Winter Soldier were naturally unhappy to think Bucky’s most valuable possession could be wrested from him so easily. And still, other Marvel fans thought this was a bit of a cop-out explanation.
Though, if the word of James Gunn is canon, then a different director will have some explaining to do down the line. Did they fight? When did Nebula go to Earth afterFAWS? What is Bucky doing without an arm? The possibility remains that this could be some fancy trick set up tohappen inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it’s unlikely. The next time we’ll probably see Bucky is inCaptain America: New World Order,and it’s not until 2024. We’ll probably have to wait until then if we want a seriously canonical explanation.
And, of course, Bucky may wind up with a perfectly new arm. It was probably going to happen anyway in order to prepare him forThunderbolts. Whatever James Gunn is up to, he’s certainly managed to get his kicks in as he leaves Marvel.
