One High Evolutionary Line Didn't Make Guardians Of The Galaxy 3's Final Cut
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" closes out the arcs for the titular band of misfits in ways that complement their individual journeys, while making space for one last adventure together to save their dear friend, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). Although not a perfect film, as it does not always know what to do with its characters, there's much to love about "Vol. 3," including its unforgettably menacing High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). What makes Iwuji's antagonist so compelling is that he's not some dude with a sob story to justify his brand of evil. Instead, he is simply a twisted scientist who is aware of his cruelties in the name of evolutionary progress. There's no struggle with morality here, nor any glimmers of remorse, as High Evolutionary is as dedicated to his nefarious cause as the superheroes are to saving the galaxy.
High Evolutionary only has one goal: To play God in a universe with endless possibilities while creating, experimenting with, and discarding worlds at a whim. This is pure megalomania on display here, as he cannot stand the notion that someone like Rocket could come up with a major scientific breakthrough instead of him, which leads to him searching for the raccoon with terrifying intensity. His utter disregard for entire races the moment they do not meet his expectations have severely ugly repercussions, as he is the kind of man to leave destruction in his wake and never look back. This is a tremendously superpowered being who had been left unchecked for a long time, and he has no plans to stop messing with the very foundation of evolutionary DNA as long as he lives.
These character impulses add considerable weight to one specific High Evolutionary line that did not make it to the final cut of the film.
'Bring me the tree'
Iwuji, who has previously talked about the High Evolutionary being a brutal, uncompromising MCU villain, told ComicBook.com about a certain line that was cut from the final version of the film, which would have set up a showdown between him and a beloved Guardians character if it had managed to make the cut. When Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) face off against High Evolutionary inside his spaceship, the latter walks away as they're attacked by his men. This is when High Evolutionary would have told his people to kill Peter and bring him "the tree," presumably for conducting inhumane experiments on him. Unfortunately, the line didn't make it:
"There was a line that didn't make it into the final cut of the movie ... that scene where I knock Groot and Peter Quill down and I'm walking away ... There's a line that didn't make it where I go, 'Kill the human. Bring me the tree.' I'm always interested in something I can learn from. So, I think the idea of a super soldier and the serums and strength and these sorts of variants to humanity would've completely fascinated me. I'd have definitely gone after them, but to study, not to destroy. Well, destroy. Maybe I'd destroy them in the process. It's all for the greater good."
"For the greater good" is the misguided mantra High Evolutionary follows, as he uses this stance to justify his cruel acts of illegal genetic experimentation he has been carrying on for years. It would make sense for him to take an interest in Groot, given that he's a Flora colossus with superhuman strength and combat abilities that are unlike any other. Thankfully, things take a different turn, and the High Evolutionary is beaten at his own game.
High Evolutionary has always been a menace
As the narrative scope of "Vol. 3" is understandably quite limited, given this is the final film (for now) that brings the gang together for one last time, High Evolutionary's, ahem, evolution into a villain is bogged down by time constraints and other narrative priorities. Nevertheless, Iwuji does a spectacular job of bringing his maniacal vision to life, etching a satisfying picture of a man driven to the point of no return due to his obsession with evolutionary "perfection," and the repercussions of such a dangerous power running amok for the galaxy at large.
If we look at the villain's comic counterpart, High Evolutionary has always been relentless in his quest for unimaginable power, going as far as starting a genocidal war to get rid of evolutionary "dead ends." Most people who dared oppose him were immediately cut down, and when his plans were thwarted several times by superhero groups like the Avengers, he would resort to creating new immortals who would throw the world back into chaos. Iwuji's statement above about the High Evolutionary being "fascinated" by variant aspects of genetic code is an understatement, as the comics version of the character went as far as attempting to remove the X-gene in mutants to rob them of their abilities permanently. Thankfully, he was shut down real quick by the X-Men.
Keeping this in mind, it is terrifying to think what kind of experimental hybrid monster he would've created if he were to get his hands on Groot and was successful in his evil machinations. In the end, he dies pathetically, blown up in his own ship, without ever truly understanding the pain and trauma he caused along the way. Like a true villain, High Evolutionary remains utterly irredeemable until the end.