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TITLES AND names in Marvel often convey a lot about someone’s intentions or abilities. To wit: Invisible Woman—pretty straightforward! It’s about the same for the High Evolutionary, the main villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3., whose name indicates his whole deal from the jump.

Played by Chukwudi Iwuji, who reunites with director/writer James Gunn (the two worked on HBO Max’s Peacemaker together), the High Evolutionary of the MCU is a massive threat to the Guardians, giving them a decidedly personal mission after his schemes injure Rocket (Bradley Cooper). “The High Evolutionary is one of my favorite Marvel villains,” Gunn told Empire in an interview, comparing him to a space version of Doctor Moreau from the classic 1932 film Island Of Lost Souls. “He’s a detestable character, frankly.”

At the film's premiere, Gunn went a step further, calling Iwuji's take on the High Evolutionary "the cruelest MCU villain we'll ever see" during a red carpet interview with extra.

Ostensibly Marvel’s version of Doctor Frankenstein (although funny enough, the good doctor does exist in comic book canon), the High Evolutionary’s publication history dates back to the 1960s, when he first appeared in an issue of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Thor. Like all Marvel characters, his history is extensive, complex, and well-suited to explore.

With Vol 3. in theaters, here’s a look at the secret history of the High Evolutionary in case you want to know more.

The High Evolutionary is played by Chukwudi Iwuji in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Those familiar with James Gunn’s work will likely recognize the man behind the High Evolutionary as actor Chukwudi Iwuji. The Nigerian actor notably worked with Gunn in the HBO Max Peacemaker series and is also a stalwart performer across the industry, with roles in Prime Video’s The Underground Railroad and Netflix’s Designated Survivor and When They See Us.

Gunn has high praise for Iwuji, recently telling Variety that the actor is “...along with Viola Davis and Margot Robbie and Benicio Del Toro and a few others, one of the best actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

In that same Variety piece, Iwuji throws around some lofty aspirational counterparts to the Vol 3 villain. “He’s Dr. Moreau meets Dr. Frankenstein meets James Bond villain meets Thanos. He’s very Shakespearean. That idea of the tragic flaw. He wants to make the perfect society with a completely blinkered, single-minded ruthlessness, even though he thinks it’s for the greater good.”

With the High Evolutionary, Iwuji is poised to make a big impression, so it’ll be curious to see where he ends up in the aftermath of his major MCU role.

Who is the High Evolutionary in the Marvel Comics?

The High Evolutionary first appeared in Thor #134 with an auspiciously villainous start: he kidnapped Jane Foster to have her help teach his genetically altered troops, but his dabbling in science started long before this. Herbert Wyndham grew up in England in the 1920s and eventually grew to appreciate the genetics research of Nathaniel Essex (aka Mr. Sinister, famed foe to the X-Men). He began experimenting on rats in his basement to hone his skills. Wyndham eventually attended a conference where he met the Inhuman Phaeder (albeit in disguise), who passed along information to help unlock the genetic code. This allowed Wyndham to create a serum for genetic alteration, but it was so controversial that he was expelled from Oxford University as a result.