Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features a truly despicable villain, but fans should’ve already known that his plans were doomed to fail from some of his very first scenes. The third Guardians film was no different than the rest of the MCU trilogy as it managed to seamlessly combine comedic moments and heartfelt emotions. Though it still focused on the Guardians’ group dynamic, there was an obvious focus on one specific member of the group.

Despite spending almost a decade with Rocket Raccoon, the details of his seemingly painful backstory were left a secret until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fans knew that he was a product of experimentation, but not the true evil extent of his torture. While the High Evolutionary thought highly of himself and his plan, it was truly doomed from the start and some earlier scenes in the film hint at exactly why.

The High Evolutionary Is One Of The MCU’s Most Evil Villains

He Has No Regard For Anyone But Himself

With the sheer amount of MCU projects, it’s no surprise that the franchise has a large roster of interesting villains. However, only a select few can claim to be truly evil, and the High Evolutionary is undoubtedly one of them. In the earlier Guardians films, Rocket said that he was experimented on in the past, so fans already had a bad impression of the individual who was responsible. Getting introduced to the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 not only solidified that opinion, but it made his reputation even worse.

The High Evolutionary wanted to create a perfect species that he could then use to populate his own utopia, Counter-Earth. The villain saw certain species as less than others, which is where his experimentation stemmed from. He had a lack of respect for other living creatures and a heinous disregard for anything but his own ego, which can’t be too surprising considering his plan stemmed from the problematic concept of eugenics. From the start, the High Evolutionary exhibited a truly despicable mentality that was only proven by his actions.

The High Evolutionary’s First Displays Of His Biggest Character Flaws Show Exactly Why All Of His Plans Fail

There’s Irony In The High Evolutionary’s Critiques

The High Evolutionary manages to display some of his biggest character flaws within moments of his MCU debut. He created the Sovereign race with the intention of them being highly advanced and genetically perfect, with the High Priestess and her son Adam Warlock being prime examples. After Adam flees the Guardians at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he returns to his mother wounded. The High Evolutionary threatens the pair because of their failures, lamenting them as flawed creations. He says that their egos have run wild and that he made them purely as an aesthetic experiment.

However, the Sovereign’s flaws can’t even be considered their own faults as the High Evolutionary was the one to program them. One of the High Evolutionary’s biggest character flaws is clearly his own ego, as he sees himself as a god. It’s no surprise that some of his creations would reflect his worst traits, so it’s ironic hearing him call the Sovereign egotistical when that’s exactly what he is himself. The High Evolutionary’s plan was never going to work if he was always going to let his ego get in the way of his creations acting for themselves.

The High Evolutionary’s MCU Villain Story Is One Of The Franchise’s Best Because He’s So Flawed

Marvel Knows That He Can’t Be Redeemed

From the moment that the High Evolutionary came up with his plans, they were destined to fail because of who he was as an individual. There’s irony in a person being obsessed with perfection while having such a flawed outlook on life. He believed he could craft a perfect species, which not only meant that he saw other species as lower lives, but that he saw himself as the pinnacle of society. He was so caught up in his ego that he couldn’t recognize his own flaws, which is why Counter-Earth ultimately ended up being a mirror to regular Earth.

The reason why the High Evolutionary stands out as a villain in the MCU is because he is one who is truly evil. The franchise has often gone the route of having a redeemable villain that audiences can feel sympathetic towards, so having a villain who is clearly irredeemable in any way feels refreshing. The High Evolutionary being despicable to his core is why he’s so genuinely terrifying, and that’s why his Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plan ended up failing.