by The main antagonist from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chukwudi Iwuji‘s High Evolutionary, almost appeared completely different from the version that moviegoers saw in theatres.
Skaar in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and MODOK in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are two recent examples of how adaptable the visual designs of some of Marvel Studios’ characters can be.
The High Evolutionary, who made fans eager to see what he would do on screen after a few tense moments during the film’s promotional tour, continued this theme in Guardians 3.
Iwuji’s stunning performance in the role was the villain, but the character’s appearance also generated a lot of discussion among fans.
The villain (Chukwudi Iwuji) from Guardians 3 has a new look in new artwork.
Andy Park, the director of visual development at Marvel Studios, posted early concept art on Twitter that revealed a new appearance for Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary, the formidable antagonist from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Park teased the fun he had creating various concepts for the Guardians 3 villain, noting that this was one of his early attempts at the character from a few years ago:
“‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3’ CONCEPT ART! The fun part of concept art is exploring the possibilities. This was one of my 1st passes at High Evolutionary many years ago during preproduction. Much fun was had in these explorations”
Park’s concept art was influenced by comic books, and instead of the vivid maroon that appeared in Marvel Comics, Park chose a light pink shade for the High Evolutionary.
Director James Gunn used Iwuji’s face with some prosthetic make-up rather than a completely mechanical look for the High Evolutionary, giving him a purple outfit that resembled his comic book counterpart in terms of design.
Will the villain from Guardians 3 Return?
Although the High Evolutionary is not the only MCU antagonist to differ slightly from how they appeared in the comics, Guardians 3 made sure that the visuals supported the outstanding acting that Iwuji provided in the role.
The question of whether Iwuji will reprise his role in the MCU now that James Gunn has switched to DC full-time arises after fans reacted so passionately to seeing Iwuji’s villain take the spotlight for the first time.
The High Evolutionary was shown to have survived the decisive battle in Guardians 3; the antagonist was “imprisoned on Knowhere” as the Guardians dispersed.
The door may still be open for Iwuji to make a comeback and revive this villain design given that Guardians of the Galaxy 4 may still be in the works after the epic conclusion for this particular team.
In theatres now is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
