Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is sure to shock audiences. The trailers have featured shots of flashbacks that explain Rocket’s backstory, Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock, and even Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord sobbing hysterically. The biggest shock of all may come in the form of the movie’s villain, Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary.
The High Evolutionary is central to Rocket’s backstory and the main conflict of the trilogy’s finale. An intellectual master of genetics, chemistry, biology, physics, medicine, human psychology, engineering, computer science, and cybernetics,the High Evolutionary is a genetically-enhanced scientistwho uses his god-like intelligence to evolve or devolve creatures as he sees fit. Rocket references this aspect of him in theGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3trailer as he remembers when the High Evolutionary experimented on him and gave him the ability to speak, among other things.
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TheGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3trailer highlightedthe High Evolutionary’s cruelty- one shot shows him casually calling for the Guardians' deaths by incineration - but according to Gunn, fans have only gotten a taste of the High Evolutionary’s villainy. During an interview withExtraTVat the world premiere ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn commented on how evil the High Evolutionary is, saying, “This guy over here [Chukwudi Iwuji] plays the cruelest MCU villain we’ll ever see. So you get to see how he negatively impacts Rocket, his little friends.”
Iwuji also discussed how despicable the High Evolutionary is and why redemption isn’t on the table for this MCU villain. Speaking withBlackTree TV, Iwuji discussed theHigh Evolutionary’s unsympathetic portrayal- which sets him apart from villains like Loki, Thanos, and Killmonger. “I leaned into the opposite of judging and embraced it big time…I mean often certain [villains] in this universe, we lose the sight of them as villains because we are trying to find a way of making them sympathetic, you know? But that was something that James and I knew we weren’t going to do with this guy. We were going to ride it until the end. And if there is any subtle redemption, it should almost be accidental or because we are all humans and flawed.” Iwuji compared the High Evolutionary to real-world historical figures, saying, “As extreme as that seems, when you think of some of the most horrific figures in human history, there is a sense of zealotry and narcissism and single-mindedness. So James told me right at the start, ‘Ground this character.’ And I grounded him in that way.”
Whatever his fate at the end ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’s almost guaranteed that the High Evolutionary’s actions in the movie will have lingering effects that will be felt in future Marvel projects. Bringing in the cosmos' leading geneticist only to limit his sphere of influence to a single movie doesn’t seem like it would take full advantage of the character - and it doesn’t feel like Marvel. With the future of the MCU in question, the High Evolutionary may have a bigger role to play than being a thorn in the Guardians' sides.
A comic storyline called “Evolutionary War” saw the High Evolutionary face off against the Avengers and Adam Warlock following the High Evolutionary’s attempt to mutate every creature on Earth. Although it would be a dark path for the MCU to go down, there’s no question that a plot like that could raise the stakes in a way fans haven’t seen since the fruition of Thanos' grand plan. Whether he continues to be a presence in the MCU or not, the High Evolutionary will be one of theMCU’s most memorable villains.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3hits theaters on July 28, 2025.
