Given the movie’s action-packed ending, it’s hard to tell on first watch if the High Evolutionary died in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Thankfully, director James Gunn has confirmed the villain’s fate.
Did the High Evolutionary die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
A Twitter user asked Gunn if the High Evolutionary is alive and linked an article from TheDirect that stated that Drax can be seen carrying the villain out of his exploding ship at the end of the movie. The filmmaker confirmed that the article is correct and that the High Evolutionary is alive, stating that “what’s pointed out in the article is very much in the movie.”
In a follow-up question, Gunn was then asked what happened to the High Evolutionary after he was rescued by the Guardians. The director confirmed that the antagonist is now imprisoned on Knowhere — the severed Celestial head that serves as the base for the team.
“In the film, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days,” reads the Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel’s synopsis. “Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was directed by James Gunn and was released in theaters on May 5. The sequel heavily features the backstory of Rocket — the armed and snarky raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper — and his history with the film’s villain, The High Evolutionary (played by Chukwudi Iwuji). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.