Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has finally landed in theaters. To celebrate its release, James Gunn took to Twitter to answer some questions, revealing that Annihilus was originally Rocket’s creator and the film’s main villain.
Many fans saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as a true return to form for Marvel, with Chukwudi Iwuji’s performance as the High Evolutionary being a standout reason for it. However, it seems as though the High Evolutionary wasn’t always in the cards for the film. According to James Gunn, the Fantastic Four villain Annihilus was originally set to be the one behind Rocket’s origin and serve as the film’s antagonist:
While Annihilus is primarily a Fantastic Four villain, the Guardians of the Galaxy are no stranger to sparring with him. The Negative Zone tyrant has faced off with the team numerous times, most notably in the Annihilation crossover event. Much like the High Evolutionary, he also creates genetically engineered lifeforms, specifically that of the Borers. It’s unclear why the change was made between the two villains. However, given the critical praise for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’s not likely fans would have wanted James Gunn to do it any other way.
What to expect from the third Guardians movie
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji and Maria Bakalova.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 synopsis reads as follows: “Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
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