The Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 theatrical release left the High Evolutionary's fate vague, but a deleted scene shows what happened.
After years of waiting and speculation, fans were eager for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the film quickly became Marvel Studios and Disney's most successful movie of 2023. Vol. 3 is supposedly the last outing for the original Guardian team and wraps up a trilogy nearly a decade in the making. After watching Rocket grapple with his own existence in the first Guardians movies, fans finally saw a satisfying resolution for the raccoon. His creator – Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary – is the central villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As with most Marvel Studios movies, the villain is defeated by the end. Rocket allows his creator to live in the theatrical release, and the High Evolutionary's fate is unspecified.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 physical copies will be available to purchase in a few short weeks, and a deleted scene titled “Knowhere After the Battle” was released by IGN as a sneak peek of what's to come. It shows the High Evolutionary, covered in injuries he sustained in his final battle with the Guardians, locked in prison by Rocket in Knowhere. This ironic fate feels fitting for the High Evolutionary after he imprisoned several test subjects earlier.
Aside from giving fans a clear-cut answer about what happens to the High Evolutionary, the deleted scene also shows Sean Gunn's Kraglin officially inviting Will Poulter's Adam Warlock to join the Guardians. In the deleted scene, Kraglin suggests Adam Warlock create a better superhero name than just "Adam." "Knowhere After the Battle" matches Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's end-credit scene, which shows Adam Warlock and Phyla-Vell as official Guardians.
As one of the MCU's most evil and well-acted villains, fans appreciate the possibility of the High Evolutionary's return. Many fans were impressed by the High Evolutionary's true sense of evil and Iwuji's superb performance. If the High-Evolutionary ever returns to the MCU, most fans will not be disappointed.
“Knowhere After the Battle” is one of eight deleted scenes in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 home release. Other features included in the home release are a gag reel and commentary by James Gunn. The release also has two featurettes for fans to explore: "Creating Rocket Raccoon” and “The Imperfect, Perfect Family.”
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is now available digitally and will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, or DVD on August 1, 2023.
Source: IGN