It can be super fun to see how everyone is connected in and out of Hollywood. The game “Seven Degrees From Kevin Bacon” is just that, based on the idea that actor Kevin Bacon can be connected to literally anyone on Earth by just seven people. Well, rumor has it that the game could get a lot easier, as Bacon may be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe by appearing in one of the next Guardians of the Galaxy projects (but totally not that rumored prequel).
Word's come in that Kevin Bacon was seen on set of one of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy projects. Whether it's the third installment in James Gunn’s Marvel trilogy or the mysterious, yet important Holiday Special (which James Gunn claims is the greatest thing ever done), we don’t really know.
The rumor seems to originate on Reddit, where a user said that filming for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 scene took place near their home. They said a street in the Atlanta Country Club was decorated to look like a Hollywood street during Christmas, seemingly with decorations from the ‘90s, like a vintage plastic Santa Claus and retro police cars.
The user was also under the impression that the scene included some kind of serious action, as they spotted overturned police cars and the stunt double for Drax, Gary Peebles. While that doesn’t necessarily mean action (the Guardians could have totally walked into the aftermath of the scene), there’s a decent chance that we could see Drax get flung into a few cars.
While the user didn't explicitly say that they personally witnessed Kevin Bacon on set, they did say that “the word is” Bacon is in the scene that they described. The set described also sounds very much like it would be for the upcoming Holiday Special. However, in the comments, the reddit user explained that the working title they noticed (Hot Christmas), as well as some of the other set clues, were confirmed for Vol. 3. It’s still entirely possible that the shots are for the Holiday Special, though.
Now, of course, this is all just a rumor. However, there’s plenty of reasons that it is likely true. While Kevin Bacon has not been in the MCU, his name has actually already been mentioned in Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, who is a fanboy for pretty much anything Earth ‘80s related, told Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora that Kevin Bacon is one of Earth’s great heroes. Also, Peter Parker brought up Footloose in Avengers: Infinity War when learning about Quill's "dance-off" to save the universe).
Apparently Kevin Bacon was pretty thrilled that he was referenced in Guardians of the Galaxy (calling it “super”), and his overwhelming presence in ‘80s pop culture would make for a great cameo in a Guardians of the Galaxy film. He also worked with James Gunn on the movie Super, so he already has a working relationship with the director and has expressed great desire to be a part of the Guardians franchise.
Honestly, a cameo from Kevin Bacon in a Guardians of the Galaxy project makes more sense than the actor never appearing in the franchise. The MCU has some pretty awesome cameos already, but one from Bacon might just blow them all out of the water with how perfectly it would fit.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes out on May 5, 2023, while the Holiday Special will be released at the end of this year. There are a lot of other upcoming Marvel movies to look forward to, but right now, I honestly can’t wait to see if this rumor proves to be true and Kevin Bacon does indeed join in on all the Phase Four fun.
