Evolution is path-dependent. Notice that mammals were comprehensively outcompeted by dinosaurs till asteroid removed them and gave mammals time and niches to de

Evolution is path-dependent. Notice that mammals were comprehensively outcompeted by dinosaurs till asteroid removed them and gave mammals time and niches to develop in. If you recreated dinosaurs right now they would lose to mammals (for example to homo sapiens). It's perfectly possible that mitochondria are the dinosaurs of "cell powerplants" that just haven't encountered the asteroid to let other (ultimately better) solutions develop.