This is a special cover story with Chukwudi Iwuji. From DC to Marvel, he has accomplished something that few actors achieve: he has been a part of two incredible franchises. Chukwudi, as High Evolutionary, is the villain we’ll root for. To bring a character to life, an actor needs to have a certain amount of empathy, which Chukwudi demonstrated in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. How can one relate to a figure who promises to do everything for the betterment of the galaxy? What is there to empathize with when you know the villain’s actions are motivated solely by ego, pride, and arrogance? Chukwudi, on the other hand, is a classically trained actor who can explore the what-ifs with a character. What if we ignored the greater good in order to satisfy our own selfish desires? What if we choose a destructive path only to see what happens? In the latest installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Chukwudi Iwuji portrays a villain who makes us speculate, “What if we didn’t care what other individuals thought and just did what we wanted?”

Cox: Chukwudi, I’m excited to speak with you about your upcoming role as a High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. How does it feel to be a crossover star from the DC Universe to the MC Universe? 
Iwuji: You know, it just all happened. One moment I’m starring in Peacemaker on HBO Max, and then the next, James Gunn is asking me to come over to Marvel’s to play the main villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. I guess you can say I was in a relaxed state of shock because this was unreal. I don’t take any of this for granted. 

Cox: James Gunn discovered you because of your role as Clemson Murn in Peacemaker. There is a funny story behind that part. 
Iwuji: Yes, I almost didn’t do the audition for Peacemaker. I thought I was never going to get it, so why, brother? If the writing wasn’t so great, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

Cox: You went through something that many actors and actresses go through. They are debating if they should or should not go for a role because they doubt, they will get it. What else swayed you to go for the role? 
Iwuji: It was just so funny, man. I remember showing my wife the script, and she was like, “Oh my god, this is so funny. I told her I should just do it for the hell of it because, at least at the end of it all, I would have fun creating the audition tape. I owed it to myself as an actor to just have fun with this. And you know what? We did it in one take. 

Cox: Well, we are all happy you went for it. Now let’s go from DC to Marvel. How was the entire process for you? 
Iwuji: The process was incredible, and I wish the whole industry was like this. It happened during the last day we were filming the dance sequence for Peacemaker. We had done a few takes, and James came up to me and asked if he could have a word with me. In the spirit of my fellow Nigerians, I jokingly said to him, “This is when he is going to tell me he wants to go with someone else. He laughed and said, “No, no, no, but I would like you to be the main villain in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.” He dropped all of this on me in the middle of the day. 

I stared at him when he said that. You know how Homer Simpson looks in cartoons when he is confused. That was me in that moment. I was just confused and started blinking. 

Fast forward six weeks, and we were shooting I was screen testing for the role. This wasn’t just normal on camera. It was a full production test because Marvel wanted to see me audition and get a contract signed. 

Cox: That’s not normally how it’s done, huh? 
Iwuji: Normally, when it’s a screen test, you walk into the room, and there are like five other versions of yourself. But James wanted me for it, so there was the script, a cameraman, and a sort of set built out so that I could play the role as closely as possible. 

Cox: What do you think James saw in your previous role that let him know you were meant for the role of the High Evolutionary? 
Iwuji: I don’t know! And I think I honestly wouldn’t want to know. I never inquired about that when he brought up the opportunity. I say that because if I knew what James wanted from me in that role, I would have gotten into that headspace. I would then have performed it artificially. Makes sense?  

I guess what he wanted from me was the epic quality I bring to my work. 

Cox: Speaking of performing a character, I saw an interview where you described The High Evolutionary as crazy, arrogant, and a sociopath. He’s a character you’re new to playing. How did you empathize with him to make sure you brought him to life? 
Iwuji: He’s ultimately driven, as the teaser tells you, to create the perfect society. That’s a genuine driver for him. So, for me, that’s the best point of entry into who he is. 

Cox: Are there any characteristics or qualities of The High Evolutionary that you feel you have in common? 
Iwuji: There are things that I can recognize about myself in him, especially the ego part. Ego is something we all have, and at times it can become overly inflated. There is also this coldness about him. And if you’ve met many of my friends, they have a nickname for me: “the prince.” They are like, “Look at you. Who do you think you are walking around like you are the prince of something?” There is that regal quality to him that I really love to play. There is also a real charm to him, even though he has this dangerous job. 

I think of him as playing a sort of James Bond villain. You know those types of characters who could smile and knife you at the same time? 

Cox: Why do you think people can relate to villains like The High Evolutionary? 
Iwuji: There is a very dangerous thing between ambition and viciousness, just like there is a very fine line between love and hate. For the most part, we behave in the direction of light and positivity, but that doesn’t mean the dark doesn’t live within us. There is this yin and yang quality to him, and this is why we love villains like him. You know, we’ve all been there where we might not act on those dark thoughts, but they have crossed our brains. We just tell ourselves we won’t do it, where The High Evolutionary says he will. 

Cox: I love this character for you because of his polarizing nature. What was something that you loved about being The High Evolutionary? 
Iwuji: You know it’s great to be able to explore what it would be like to be a person who is an egomaniac, a narcissist, and who can get away with anything. That’s The High Evolutionary. These are things we are aware of but don’t do. So, with him, I get to explore and find a vision of what it looks like for me to be an actual egomaniac, because this is something I wouldn’t be or reach for in real life. 

Cox: This is the third installment in the franchise. What can we expect from the characters and storyline? 
Iwuji: You’re going to see a lot of the characters you’ve seen in the last two movies go into deeper places. In the third act, you see them needing to find the best versions of themselves. This one will take us down a deeper journey that is even bigger, with darker and funnier moments as well as being action-packed. You know, things have to be bigger for us to delve deeper into these characters. More of their humanity will be explored. 

One thing you will all love is exploring Rocket’s story. There are a lot of triumphs and tragedies. This third act is where we really ruminate on the first two acts since we are closer to the end than the beginning. 

Cox: Thank you for your time today. It’s been a pleasure talking with you about a monumental moment in your career. Before we go, I want to ask one last question. When do you reflect on how the journey has been for you up until this point? 
Iwuji: It’s been the good, the bad, and everything in between. I try to tell young actors that on this journey, you only get to control about ten percent of it. And that’s only if you are lucky. That ten percent has to come from you and how you nurture, forgive, and inspire yourself. The other ninety percent you can’t control, and it’s subjective. Actors not getting a part are, nine times out of ten, not reflective of their talent. This is the game of an industry that has an uneven playing field. But that field is fun to play in, but it comes with rejection. 

So, what you can control is how you pass your time as an actor when you are waiting for a role or in between roles. It’s more important to know who you are surrounding yourself with. When I got to my thirties, that’s when I focused on what I had rather than what I didn’t. Before that, I lost track of what was most important in my life, like the ones I loved. I learned to detach myself from just seeing myself as an actor, which I wish I had started ten years earlier. 

This is why I always want to remind actors that they are more than just actors. You are someone living a life and embracing all the things you can control. 

Photographer, Stylist and Creative Director: Marquan Nesmith
Groomer: Crystal Smith