Credit: Inside the MagicIt’s been over a month since James Gunn’s critically-acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy franchise came to an end with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). However, it was just revealed that Marvel changed the fate of one of the film’s main villains, which could have some significant implications for the future of the MCU.
Back in May, the MCU’s fan-favorite group of ragtag antiheroes reunited for one last ride in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which saw Chris Pratt reprising his role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, and Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as the voices of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, respectively.
The threequel also marked the franchise debut for newcomers Will Poulter, who brought legendary comic book hero Adam Warlock to life, in addition to Chukwudi Iwuji, who played the siniter High Evolutionary, AKA Rocket’s creator.
Vol. 3 premiered to rave reviews thanks to its brilliantly-written story, which tugged at the heartstrings of fans both new and old. Its approach to mature subject matter like death, depression, and animal experimentation earned Marvel a newfound praise as the studio continues to navigate its Phase Five—something that was sorely needed after audiences’ poor reception to its lackluster Phase Four.
Of course, as per most MCU superhero flicks, the good guys win the day in Vol. 3, putting an end to the High Evolutionary’s unethical gene-slicing projects once and for all—or so we thought.
Just today, Disney announced that Vol. 3 would get an at-home release later this summer when fans can pick up a Blu-ray copy jam-packed with bonus clips and deleted footage. Some scenes include more time with Adam Warlock and Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), footage from the High Evolutionary’s Counter-Earth, and more.
But perhaps most intriguing is a deleted scene highlighting the High Evolutionary’s imprisonment on Knowhere, thus confirming his survival at the hands of the Guardians.
During the film’s climax, it was implied that the High Evolutionary did not survive his battle with the Guardians, though his death was never explicitly shown. And as most fans of comic book franchises are well aware of, if there’s not a body shown onscreen, they’re probably not dead. Because of this, many viewers theorized that the High Evolutionary was indeed alive, making this new deleted scene not so surprising to some.
James Gunn himself confirmed the news on Twitter last month, saying it would have seemed “silly & hollow” and against Rocket’s character arc if he had just left the High Evolutionary on the exploding ship. With Rocket’s journey being a central plot point of the movie, his choosing to revert to his old murderous ways would have lessened the impact of his growth.
So, if the High Evolutionary is alive, when will we see him next? Considering the current state of Marvel, it’s hard to guess. However, in the comics, the High Evolutionary has been an enemy to many superhero teams, including the X-Men and the Avengers, meaning there’s plenty of potential for the mad scientist to wreak havoc on the universe again if he manages to escape Knowhere.
It’s not surprising that Marvel would want to keep such a superb actor around for more MCU projects down the line. Still, his survival breaks tradition, as supervillains typically don’t make it past their debut movie.
For now, fans can look forward to watching all these deleted scenes and more, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be available digitally on Friday, July 7, and on DVD and Blu-ray on August 1.
What do you think of Marvel confirming the survival of Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary? Let us know in the comments below.