Annihilus Was Almost Guardians Of The Galaxy 3's Villain And Rocket's Creator
"Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn has always considered Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) as the true star of his trilogy. "Vol. 3," which cemented Rocket at the trilogy's soul, finally delved into his long hinted-at origin; he was a terrestrial Racoon experimented on by mad scientist the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).
"Vol. 3" will be Gunn's final rodeo with Marvel Studios in the near future — he's currently working on jumpstarting the DC Universe. Though it's a satisfying conclusion for the main cast, Gunn didn't get to use every toy he wanted to before his exit. He said in 2017, when "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" came out, that he would like to feature the villain Annihilus. Between Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) in the first film and Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell) in "Vol. 2," Gunn clearly has a soft spot for cosmic Jack Kirby villains.
The first two "Guardians" films were made before the 20th Century Fox/Disney merger when Marvel reclaimed the film rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Annihilus is most associated with the Fantastic Four, ergo he was off-limits before then — but not during the production of "Vol. 3."
Gunn recently confirmed on Twitter with a blunt "Yes" that he considered Annihilus as the villain of "Vol. 3." If he had been, then he would've been Rocket's creator instead of the High Evolutionary.
Who is Annihilus?
An insectoid alien, Annihilus is the ruler of the Negative Zone, the anti-matter reflection of our universe. He wields a "Cosmic Control Rod," which he uses to control the less-evolved denizens of his realm and bend them to his will.
Annihilus debuted in "Fantastic Four Annual" #6, part of the inaugural Stan Lee/Jack Kirby run on the comic. Since then, he's mostly been an adversary of the FF. However, the 2006 comic event "Annihilation" saw him launch a full-scale invasion of the Marvel universe, putting him in conflict with its cosmic characters.
"Annihilation" laid the groundwork for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, so including Annihilus in their films would make sense. However, since a new "Fantastic Four" film is on the horizon, conserving their rogues' gallery is also a good idea. If that film wants to embrace the FF as explorers of the unknown, the Negative Zone would be a good destination.
We don't know how seriously Gunn considered Annihilus, but I think he made the right choice in forgoing him. The High Evolutionary is a much better fit as Rocket's creator. Even in the comics, he has a history of creating humanoid animals (see Counter-Earth, which the Guardians visit in "Vol. 3"). Compare the two villains' names, which broadcast their respective ethos; Annihilus is all about destruction, not creation.
I wouldn't be surprised if Annihilus does rear his head in the MCU, but "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" was not the proper place for it.
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is currently playing in theaters.