The final chapter of the Guardians of the Galaxy is out in theaters on May 3, with many Marvel fans expecting an emotional end to the trilogy. But who is this mysterious High Evolutionary character, and just how dangerous will this potential villain be against the Guardians and to the MCU, in Volume 3?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will be the last time we can expect to see the extensive, fan-favorite team of Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket, Mantis, Gamora, Groot, and Nebula, all working together to make the galaxy, and their settlement on Knowhere, a better place for everyone.
It wouldn’t be a Guardians movie without some overarching threat, however, and it was revealed that yet another powerful character will be included from the original Marvel comics. High Evolutionary, whose origin story is closely tied to both Rocket Raccoon and Adam Warlock, will now be joining the MCU.
Who is the High Evolutionary in MCU?
According to the Marvel comics, High Evolutionary is a unique scientist, who views himself as a god. His primary goal is to take, what he views as, lower-level species and experiment on them until he builds the perfect creation in his eyes. This is where his connection to the Guardians comes into play, with this new character at the heart of Rocket Raccoon’s traumatic transformation into the hero we see today.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, High Evolutionary is played by Nigerian actor Chukwudi Iwuji. High Evolutionary is expected to have “virtually unlimited knowledge and intellectual ability” according to Marvel, which will make him quite a force in the MCU.
Also expected to have many extraordinary powers to complement his intelligence. His psionic powers enable him to rearrange matter, which he uses to evolve and devolve life. He can also use it to increase and decrease his own size and mass at will, as well as travel inter-dimensionally. How this will appear in the final Guardians movie will soon be seen, but his description would frighten most in the MCU that oppose him.
Is High Evolutionary a villain?
His actions and experiments on different species has created a number of heroes that we see in the Marvel Universe, but there is no doubt that his work crosses moral boundaries and that it would be viewed as cruel and evil in many characters’ eyes. And the likes of Rocket know firsthand just how extreme High Evolutionary’s methods are.
So will the Guardians have to face off against him in Guardian Vol 3? As mentioned above, and as seen in the trailers, High Evolutionary’s tortuous experiments are what transformed Rocket from a regular raccoon into the cybernetic gunslinger we see today. So, it is expected that this resentment will lead to a confrontation between H.E. and the Guardians.
We also know that Adam Warlock will feature and has a complicated relationship with High Evolutionary in the comics, so he may have to be convinced to fight alongside the guardians and abandon any loyalty so that the powerful scientist’s work comes to a halt. However, the answers will soon be revealed for movie-goers, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now premiering worldwide.