Warning: This article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 not only wraps up the entire trilogy in an emotionally satisfying (even devastating) way, but it also subtly changes the storyline woven through these three films too. Now that the much-anticipated threequel is finally out there in the world, Marvel experts are reading between the lines and discovering, much to their surprise, that the events of Vol. 3‘s ending add a totally different context to the opening of Vol. 2. Spoilers incoming!
In the new film’s third act, the Guardians discover the various genetically engineered creatures the High Evolutionary has stored on his giant ark-like spaceship, including a trio of Abilisks — enormous tentacled monstrosities, like the one that attacked the Sovereign’s homeworld in Vol. 2‘s opening scene (that was memorably set to E.L.O.’s “Mr. Blue Sky”).
Back then, the Guardians believed the Abilisk was attempting to feed on the Sovereign’s powerful Anulax batteries. However, as pointed out by some sharp-minded fans in a Reddit thread discussing Vol. 3, the fact that they are apparently creations of the High Evolutionary suggests he actually sent the Abilisk after the Sovereign in Vol. 2 in order to wipe out his “failed experiments.”
Hoping to save their own lives, the Sovereign then probably hired the Guardians to protect them from the Abilisk the High Evolutionary had sent to devour them, although Ayesha hid that fact from the heroes — perhaps due to her pride and hefty ego. The failure of the Abilisk to destroy the Sovereign explains why the villain then simply blows up Counter-Earth when he likewise considers that experiment over in Vol. 3.
As well as changing our understanding of its predecessor, this Guardians 3 detail also makes the depths of the High Evolutionary’s evil even greater. Not that his crimes were exactly on the shallow side of the swimming poo as it was.