A wild new theory answers a burning, seven-year-old MCU mystery, while also changing the ending of Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy film series is one of the MCU’s most popular, and has explored the franchise’s cosmos more than any other. Delving into the depths of space meant that Gunn had the opportunity to introduce some of Marvel’s strangest, most powerful, and most otherworldly villains into the MCU, including the likes of Ronan the Accuser, Thanos, Ego, and the High Evolutionary.

What made the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise’s villains so great were their connections to the titular heroes themselves. Thanos was Gamora and Nebula’s adoptive father, Ego was Peter Quill’s biological father, and the High Evolutionary had a hand in enhancing Rocket into an intelligent being. However, one new MCU theory suggests that two of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s villains may also be connected to each other, and this wild suggestion could explain one major mystery concerning Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s​​​​​​​ Ego.

Ego’s Differences To Other Celestials Has Never Been Addressed In The MCU

In a massive change from Marvel Comics, Ego the Living Planet was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Peter Quill’s biological father, played by Kurt Russell. Ego explained that he was a Celestial, but Ego looks very different from the other Celestials that have been seen in the MCU. Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Love and Thunder and Eternals have all featured Celestials that look like giant humanoid creatures, but with extreme cosmic designs. This is a far cry from Ego’s brain-like physique, and his ability to create a vast world and human-like forms.

Marvel Studios has never explained why Ego looks so different to the other Celestials seen in the MCU, and the fact that Ego was defeated and killed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 means this may never be addressed. Ego’s differences to the other Celestials don’t stop at his appearance. Eternals seemed to suggest that all Celestials were fostered and born from seed planets, such as Tiamut from the Earth, but this was not the case for Ego, who describes one day just being alive. While Marvel hasn’t explained these differences, a major new theory could.

The High Evolutionary Created Ego: Major MCU Theory Explained

According to a new theory posed by Reddit user AttunementOfWord, Ego’s differences could be explained if he is revealed to be one of the High Evolutionary’s experiments. Chukwudi Iwuji’s debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as the High Evolutionary brought one of Marvel’s most significant and terrifying villains into live-action, and connected him closely to the history of Rocket Raccoon. The High Evolutionary created many different species, including those of the Sovereign and the Humanimals, so it makes sense that he could have created Ego.

Back in August 2023, a theory posed by Reddit user AdditionalInitial727 suggested that the Orgoscope, the strange headquarters of OrgoCorp, could have been the beginnings of the High Evolutionary’s plan to build a Celestial. The Orgoscope was made of fleshy, biological matter, and contained pools of yellow liquid like those seen in Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy. The eye-like structure at the center of the Orgoscope emulated similar structures on the heads of Celestials seen in Eternals and other MCU projects, reinforcing this theory.

It’s unknown exactly when the High Evolutionary may have started to build the Orgoscope, but, according to the more recent Reddit theory, the Phase 5 villain may have been successful in his later attempts with the birth of Ego. Having Ego be a product of the High Evolutionary’s universe-spanning experiments would clearly explain his differences to other Celestials in the MCU, as he wouldn’t be a typical Celestial, but would have been designed by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s god-like villain. Unbelievably, there is even more evidence to back up these shocking claims.

The High Evolutionary & Ego Wanted Similar Goals

At first glance, Ego and the High Evolutionary couldn’t be more opposite to each other. However, upon deeper inspection, it seems the two villains actually wanted the same thing in their respective Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The High Evolutionary conducted his experiments in an effort to create the perfect society, comprising beings who worship him as a god. He practiced these plans with the Counter-Earth experiment, but purged it when it failed, and hoped to use Rocket to breathe imagination into his newly-designed Star Children.

While the High Evolutionary wanted to create a unique society, Ego wanted to transform every other society in the universe into an extension of himself. Using his seeds implanted in worlds across the universe, Ego’s expansion had similar roots to the High Evolutionary’s plans, both wanting to create the perfect society in their own image. Based on the Reddit theory, Ego’s desire to spread himself across all creation would have been an extension of the High Evolutionary’s ambition to do the same, though they had very different methods in making this happen.

MCU Theory Makes The High Evolutionary The Most Terrifying MCU Villain (& He’s Still Alive)

The idea of the High Evolutionary having the power to create a Celestial-like being such as Ego cements him as one of, if not the most powerful beings in the entire MCU. These theories would make the High Evolutionary the primary villain of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, as he would have been pulling the strings in several of the titular team members’ lives long before they came together. Viewers could rest assured that the High Evolutionary wouldn’t rear his ugly head again, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 made it possible for him to return.

While the High Evolutionary’s laboratory was destroyed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, every experiment and animal inside was saved by the Guardians team. The team also saved the High Evolutionary himself. Drax can be seen carrying the High Evolutionary’s unconscious body onto Knowhere towards the end of the movie, and a deleted scene from the Phase 5 project shows Rocket imprisoning the villain, but the High Evolutionary is very much alive. This creates the opportunity for his escape and the continuation of his nefarious plans, allowing him to perhaps build new villains in the MCU’s future.