Almost no single character's MCU introduction has come with more build-up than Adam Warlock - whose arrival has been teased in Easter eggs and a post-credits scene from both Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Now, actor Will Poulter is finally set to bring the mercurial being to life with next year's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Not currently set for any involvement in this year's Holiday Special, Adam Warlock has a lot of catching up to do in the MCU after sitting out of the last two big crossover events: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, with the Guardians now mostly back together and in search of their lost 2014 version of Gamora, the Sovereign-born near-perfect creation will be yet another wrench in the story to work through.
Unfortunately, after Guardians Vol. 3 premieres next May, the team's future is more uncertain than ever with Gunn's time with Marvel Studios potentially coming to an end. However, no matter what happens with the current iteration of the team, Poulter is ready to take Adam Warlock wherever Marvel Studios wants to go with him.
Poulter Ready for Future Journey with Adam Warlock
The Playlist spoke with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Will Poulter about where the franchise will go with his new cosmic character, Adam Warlock.
When asked how many appearances are included in his contract, Poulter admitted that he's still unclear on "what's in store" for him going forward. Even with that being uncertain, the star made it apparent that he wants to "go on a journey" with Adam Warlock in future outings:
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what’s in store for me. I’m waiting to find out, and that’s the honest truth, but, needless to say, I’d love to sort of go on a journey with that character.”
Poulter also shared that he had no idea who he first auditioned for during his introduction to Marvel Studios, largely being unfamiliar with Adam Warlock at the time as well. But he admitted to loving the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and what James Gunn had done with the story, calling it "very, very cool" to be involved in any way with the series:
“I first auditioned in June of last year [2021], and that was the first time I auditioned, and then I kind of got the role in September, I think. And then started shooting in December…I didn’t know what character, initially, I was auditioning for. I kind of knew sort of closer to the time [of casting] who I was reading for. Although I wasn’t familiar with Adam Warlock beforehand, I was very familiar with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ and it was kind of my favorite ‘planet’ within the Marvel universe, if you like. I’m just a huge fan of the tone and the creativity and James Gunn's work and so many of the actors, you know, that I now get to call colleagues, which I’m very grateful for. So yeah, to have any kind of part in that world is very, very cool for me.”
Looking at his physical transformation into the role, Poulter isn't sure how his work on set is going to translate onto the big screen, although he had Marvel's support the entire way through. He looks forward to speaking more openly about it closer to when the movie releases:
“I’m hesitant to talk about it because I don’t know how it translated onscreen. That [transformation] was kind of part and parcel of the preparations, and I will say I couldn’t have been better supported by Marvel and the team of people I work with. Like, it took a large number of people to help me get there; it’s not something I did on my own. When the film comes out, I’m hoping to talk about it more candidly.”
What Is Adam Warlock's MCU Future?
Considering how much hype is attached to Adam Warlock's long-awaited arrival, Poulter's casting in the role is one of the biggest news reports in recent MCU memory. Even more exciting is the fact that he wants to take the character on such an extended journey throughout the MCU even though he's only confirmed to appear in Guardians 3 for the time being.
As this next movie moves further into production, there are still no signs pointing to where Adam Warlock will actually go in his first MCU outing or even how the Guardians will encounter him in the first place. It could be as long as eight or nine years since his post-credits introduction in Vol. 2 considering the MCU's complicated timeline, and there's a chance he could already be making his exploits known across the galaxy after everything that went down with Thanos.
Regardless of how that works out, expect Poulter to be a name that Marvel fans become familiar with as one of Marvel's most powerful characters makes his presence known alongside the galaxy's lovable misfits.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will debut in theaters on May 5, 2023.
