Honestly, it’s a little strange that a character so obsessed with creating a perfect world couldn’t figure out how to make his replacement face look a little more natural. But without seeing the stretched skin, we would have never gotten that fantastic “RoboCop” insult from Star-Lord. So IÂ suppose a little leap in logic is worth it.Â
Anyway, in the final act of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” after the High Evolutionary has been defeated, the Guardians and the audience see just how badly Rocket Raccoon messed up the baddie’s face. It’s absolutely disgusting, which is fitting for such a heinous character. Interestingly enough, Makeup Department Head Alexei Dmitriew revealed to Awards Radar that the final visual was actually “a great mix of both” practical makeup effects and visual effects. Dmitriew explained:
“We did a full makeup on him with this really cool denture piece that would carry his upper lip. All of that was practical. We had a practical face that we would dress with blood and everything of the sort. The only visual effects were where his eyes sunk in, and his nose got pushed in. We blocked that out for visual effects, and they did their work. But when they peeled his face off, all of that was practical. With every take, we were set to get the face back on and dress it with some slimy blood underneath it.”
There’s a moment just before the face is torn off where you can see High Evolutionary’s face already starting to peel away, a small flap of skin wagging on the side. Part of me wonders whether this was intentional or an accident that ended up working out for the scene. Either way, the final result is an impressive one, and combined with a stirring performance from Chukwudi Iwuji, it makes for one of Marvel’s most diabolical bad guys.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is playing in theaters everywhere now.
