Fans have been begging for Adam Warlock to be introduced since the first Guardians of the Galaxy. But now with Vol. 3 it’s finally happening, with Will Poulter taking on the role of the all-powerful cosmic character. Note, I didn’t say “hero” or “villain”, because Adam Warlock isn’t so easily defined. And that will be especially true in the MCU, according to James Gunn.
Speaking with Empire, Gunn talked about the debut of Adam Warlock and what his attitude will be like when we first meet him. Will he be a hero to cheer for? Or a villain to fear?
“It’s kind of more complicated than that. But he’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.”
It’s kind of nice to get some comments from Gunn that have nothing to do with debunking DC rumors. But he is leaving Marvel, and that means Warlock is going to be some other filmmaker’s character to use in the MCU. Gunn kept that in mind when casting Poulter…
“People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock.’ I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future. He could become this really important character.”
Warlock is a major character and this definitely won’t be his only appearance. In the comics, he’s closely tied to the Infinity Gems. Could the emergence of Warlock somehow lead to the return of Thanos?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens May 5th.
