Among all the announcements of Comic Con in San Diego, one of the most interesting was the confirmation of the rumor about “Guardians of the Galaxy. 3. Although there have been many casting announcements regarding the film, it is only now that the audience has found out who some of these actors are playing. Maria Bakalova will voice the space dog Cosmo, and Chukwudi Iwuji will play the Supreme Evolutionist, a role that has long been rumored.
Iwuji last worked with “Guardians” director James Gunn on the HBO Max series “Peacemaker,” and he appeared at Marvel’s Hall H panel in full costume to confirm his character role. Comic book fans will be intrigued by the prospect of an occasional villain appearing in the MCU, but for moviegoers who aren’t familiar with the character, there are plenty of comic book stories to glean from.
The Supreme Evolutionist and Mount Vundagor
The Supreme Evolutionist made his comic book debut in the TV series “Thor” in 1966. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character was originally Herbert Edgar Wyndham, and he became obsessed with studying evolution. In fact, he was so obsessed that he found ways to experiment on animals and “evolve” them into human-like creatures. He also sought evolution to its ultimate point, regardless of whether the life form he was experimenting with wanted to evolve or not.
Windham made his base in a place that fans saw in the MCU — on Mount Wundagor. The mountain is where Wanda Maximoff found her throne in Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness, where the Darkhold was carved in stone, allowing her to access his magic without a physical copy of the book. It’s also a magical place in the comics where Chthon’s tomb is located. When Windham found out about the magical history of the mountain, he made his “new people”, the animals he had developed, the guardians of the mountain, naming them the Knights of Wundagor to prevent the rise of Chthon.
This place serves as a base for many of his experiments. He even had a hand in the birth of the Scarlet Witch and Mercury there, but this is not the only place he calls home. The Supreme Evolutionist also played a role in more cosmic stories, as he actually evolved enough to be able to create his own planet.
The Supreme Evolutionist and the Anti – Earthman
When the Supreme Evolutionist decided to create his own planet, he gave it basically the same properties as the Earth. It’s a place where his New People could grow and develop in their own society, and he could study them, but he also populated it with ordinary people.
The idea was that the new planet would become a paradise once the population had fully evolved. Unfortunately, one of the experiments of a Higher Evolutionist prevented this. The Man-Beast ruined the scientist’s work.
Fans have already assumed that viewers will see Counter-Earth in the MCU thanks to some photos that have been circulated. Fans managed to get images from filming in the Atlanta area, which would seem to depict an ordinary neighborhood, but with some not-so-average residents.
That would make sense, since Counter-Earth also has a connection to another character finally making his MCU debut in Guardians 3 — Adam Warlock.
The Supreme Evolutionist and Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock may not have been created by a Supreme Evolutionist in the comics, but he was adopted by a scientist. It goes without saying that a similar story could play out if Adam Warlock is created the Overlord at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy. 2, but falls into the care of a Higher Evolutionist.
In the comics, Adam was given a Soul Stone. The Supreme Evolutionist trusted him only with his safety. While this won’t work in the MCU, since all the Infinity Stones of the main timeline are destroyed, that doesn’t mean he can’t trust Adam Warlock in other ways.
When the Man-Beast corrupts the Counter-Earth, the Supreme Evolutionist turns to Adam for help. He sends Adam after the Beast Man to save the Counter-Earth, and this is the first story that puts Adam Warlock on the path of a hero. Although Adam Warlock has a villainous character in the comics known as Magus, he is more often a hero, which could mean a similar origin story for him to match the Guardians in the movie.
High Evolutionary can connect to a wider MCU
It’s unclear whether Higher Evolutionary will have a broader connection to the MCU, but it’s likely that there will be a character in Rocket Raccoon’s origin story. Although they are unrelated in the comics, a person who experiments with animals and endows them with human intelligence would be a good way to flesh out the MCU Rocket’s backstory. This seems incredibly likely, since the “Guardians” trailer shown at Comic Con states that the Rocket is depicted in infancy.
