Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to showcase another adventure for James Gunn's group of galactic misfits, but the Marvel director recently revealed that the threequel will serve as the final installment featuring the original team led by Chris Pratt's Star-Lord. Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but Vol. 3 is expected to deal with the fallout from Avengers: Endgame as the team searches for the alternate version of Gamora, while also battling a new threat who is rumored to be the High Evolutionary.
The actor who is rumored to be closely linked to the High Evolutionary role is Peacemaker's Chukwudi Iwuji. In the DC series, Iwuji portrayed Murn, the leader of Peacemaker's Task Force X 2.0, who is later revealed to be a 'Butterfly' and decides to side with the humans.
Ever since being confirmed that he is part of Vol. 3, Iwuji has been vocal about his role. The DC actor previously played coy about playing the Marvel villain, while also teasing that his character “couldn’t be more different from Murn.”
Now, Iwuji has revealed more interesting tidbits about his upcoming role in a new interview.
Chukwudi Iwuji Teases His Marvel Debut
Peacemaker star Chukwudi Iwuji sat down with Variety to talk about his upcoming MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Iwuji first touched upon the difference between working with James Gunn on Peacemaker and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, admitting that his Marvel character is "very different from Murn."
The actor also discussed Gunn's approach when it comes to pushing himself even further during production, while also sharing that his character "needs an extremism" that he has to tap into:
"The production is so big. James and I, we’re picking up where we left off. [The character] is very different from Murn. It requires different stuff from me. The way James works with me is pretty much the same, which is he trusts my choices — but at the same time when I give him a choice, he’s ready to push it further. He’s making me push myself. This character needs an extremism that I didn’t need to really tap into in Peacemaker that I’m tapping into here. Our relationship remains the same, one of enjoyment, mutual love and trust."
Without spoiling anything, Iwuji teased that his villainous character will "interact with everyone," confirming that he will have scenes with every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the threequel:
"I can’t say who I’m opposite the most, but I will say that I interact with everyone. I’ll give you that nugget. I get to share the love."
A Brand New Threat to the Guardians
Chukwudi Iwuiji and Guardians director James Gunn appear to have a solid working relationship behind-the-scenes, and the actor's latest comments should drive the point home.
Iwuiji's remark about the character needing "extremism" could further prove that he is playing the High Evolutionary in the threequel, considering the character's history in the comics. In Marvel Comics, the High Evolutionary is a character who becomes obsessed with the concept of evolution, thus resulting in him playing god.
It seems that the character's MCU counterpart will be a dedicated advocate of evolution as well, thus putting his extremist views to the test when he meets the Guardians, especially Rocket Racoon.
Meanwhile, Iwuji's confirmation that his MCU character will "interact with everyone" is an interesting tidbit, as it marks a stark difference from Kurt Russell's Ego the Living Planet during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
In the sequel, Russell's Ego didn't interact with every member of the Guardians, since he never directly encountered Groot. The Marvel villain also had minimal interactions with the other Guardians besides his son, Peter Quill.
Now that Iwuji has mentioned that he will interact with each Guardian, it will allow his character to flourish even more while also developing an intriguing dynamic with each of the titular heroes. This should also create interesting encounters throughout the threequel that could elevate the film's final battle.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to premiere in theaters on May 5, 2023.
