How Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Villain Is Retconned To Be The Trilogy's Big Bad

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 not only turns the High Evolutionary into the Guardians' biggest enemy but also makes him the villain that pulled the strings behind previous MCU cosmic threats. The Guardians of the Galaxy first assembled thanks to the Power Stone, which only represented a bounty for everyone involved. But after joining forces to defeat Ronan the Accuser, the team became a family, and they faced several foes together.

The Guardians of the Galaxy then fought Star-Lord's father Ego, Gamora's father Thanos, the High Priestess of the Sovereign Ayesha, the Sovereign's ultimate creation Adam Warlock, and finally their biggest villain, the High Evolutionary. While all of these enemies seem like separate threats, the High Evolutionary is the one who set many key events in motion. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's use of flashbacks shows just how important Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary is both to the team and to the MCU trilogy.

The High Evolutionary Created GOTG 2 Villains The Sovereign

The Sovereign kicked off the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 by hiring the Guardians to fight the Abilisk that attacked their planet, but they soon turned on the team when Rocket Raccoon stole their batteries. The Sovereign's quest to exact revenge on the Guardians caused Nebula to side with the heroes, and their defeat motivated Ayesha to use the Sovereign's ultimate creation, Adam Warlock, to destroy the Guardians of the Galaxy, which he almost accomplishes at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

These events make it seem like the Sovereign are the villains behind the Guardians' fiercest battles, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reveals that they only obeyed the High Evolutionary, as they are one of his many creations. This reveal creates an earlier connection between the High Evolutionary and the Guardians, and it makes the villain's defeat more humiliating, as Adam Warlock not only fails his mission to destroy the Guardians of the Galaxy but also joins them under Rocket Raccoon's leadership.

Rocket's Entire Storyline Is Because Of The High Evolutionary

Rocket Raccoon and the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

Even earlier in the MCU timeline, the High Evolutionary already had a huge impact on the Guardians of the Galaxy's journey when he created Rocket Raccoon. Although the High Evolutionary believed Rocket to be an imperfect experiment, Rocket proved to be his bravest and smartest test subject, which initially helped the villain push his inventions further but ultimately ended up backfiring when Rocket got his revenge. The Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn't have been the same without Rocket, as he embodied the Guardians' insecurities and their struggle with their painful past, making him the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy's true protagonist.

High Evolutionary Is The Guardians Of The Galaxy Trilogy's REAL Villain (& That's Perfect)

Guardians of the galaxy vol 3 high evolutionary

Beyond the secret influence the High Evolutionary had on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Chukwudi Iwuji's villain personifies the epitome of the Guardians' inner battles, as he is a character driven by his desperate need for perfection while the heroes bond over their many flaws. While Ronan, Ego, and Thanos were powerful threats, the High Evolutionary truly embodies the Guardians of the Galaxy's biggest challenge, as he becomes the ultimate test of self-acceptance for the team. Empathizing with Rocket Raccoon's painful backstory, the Guardians understand that their flaws make them who they are, and that their bond makes them more powerful than any of the High Evolutionary's creations.

By defeating the High Evolutionary, the Guardians of the Galaxy are finally leaving their past behind and moving onto a new stage in their lives. Rocket takes the first step by embracing the name "Rocket Raccoon", Drax abandons his "Destroyer" moniker and reunites with his paternal instincts, Nebula overcomes her fear of affection, and Star-Lord gives Earth another chance by visiting his grandfather. The High Evolutionary may have motivated the team to break up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but he did it by confirming that they are ready to embrace their flaws individually as well as they did when they were together.