Marvel’s Phase 5 Secretly Set Up A Major X-Men Villain For The MCU Reboot

The High Evolutionary’s connection to Earth in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 secretly lays the groundwork for a major X-Men villain’s introduction. Despite being an alien, it’s made abundantly clear throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that the MCU villain is fixated with Earth culture. After all, he used human civilization and the planet’s ecology as the basis for so much of his work.

Exactly when he got these ideas wasn’t explicitly stated in the movie, but has since been clarified by James Gunn himself. The director confirmed that the High Evolutionary spent some time on Earth in the 1980s. It would seem that this period, brief as it may have been, was what fueled his interest in creating creatures like Rocket Racoon and constructing Counter-Earth. Furthermore, this visit holds important implications for the MCU’s future. Whether he returns or not, the origin of his fascination with Earth could have a major impact on later projects.

The High Evolutionary’s Earth Visit Sets Up A Mister Sinister Appearance

The MCU made many notable changes to the High Evolutionary, including the removal of his human origins. However, a connection to Mister Sinister hasn’t been ruled out thanks to the confirmation that the villain visited Earth. He may not be Herbert Wyndham or a colleague of Nathaniel Essex in the MCU, but the mere notion that he was there opens the door for Marvel to connect him with Mister Sinister’s MCU debut. Since he was on Earth in the past, he easily could have crossed paths with Essex. If so, he could have made some significant breakthroughs in his research because of meeting Essex – or vice versa.

Through a flashback set on Earth, Marvel can explore their relationship and how they learned from each other. In this way, Marvel will be able to use an existing character to ground Mister Sinister in the pre-established lore of the MCU. That would also serve another purpose, as it would help tie the X-Men into the larger narrative of the MCU.

Given Mister Sinister’s status as an A-list X-Men villain, there’s a strong likelihood that he’s part of the MCU’s long-term X-Men plans, even if he’s not going to be used right away. The potential problem of introducing him is how strong the similarities between him and the High Evolutionary are in Marvel Comics. Both Mister Sinister and High Evolutionary are scientists obsessed with evolution and genetically modifying themselves, so the resemblance would be difficult to ignore. The best way to avoid his arc coming across as a retread of the High Evolutionary’s story is to embrace their connection and reveal that there’s actually a good reason why they have so much in common.

Mister Sinister’s Role in The High Evolutionary’s Origin Story Explained

In Marvel Comics, the High Evolutionary’s origin story is related directly to one of the most important villains in the X-Men’s rogues’ gallery. Before becoming the High Evolutionary, he was Herbert Wyndham, an early 20th-century scientist possessing a genius intellect and huge ambitions. During his research into evolution, he learned of the work of another geneticist, Nathaniel Essex. Wyndham used the knowledge he gained from Essex to further his own experiments and eventually become the High Evolutionary. As for Essex, he went down the path of a supervillain as well, rebranding himself as Mister Sinister.

Mister Sinister has a long-held reputation as one of the X-Men’s best villains. And like High Evolutionary, “evolving” lifeforms is his modus operandi. But instead of using animals to create the perfect being, Mister Sinister’s obsession is with mutantkind. Traditionally, his goals put him at odds with the X-Men, who often have to unify to take him down. As such, Mister Sinister is the centerpiece of several memorable X-Men storylines.

Could The High Evolutionary & Mister Sinister Team Up?

In addition to giving Marvel an easy way to set up Mister Sinister, the High Evolutionary could provide the villain with the perfect partner for his schemes. It’s been confirmed that the High Evolutionary survived Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s ending, which makes that scenario possible. He could become relevant again if Marvel elects to make his comic link with Minister Sinister MCU canon. If that were to happen, the two could team up at some point down the road. Combining their scientific talents could force Rocket’s new superhero team and the X-Men to band together to stop them. Such an alliance could be the subject of an epic crossover movie centered on the new Guardian of the Galaxy and X-Men.

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