It seems like James Gunn is a man on a mission to revive DC Comics on the big and small screens, but he has the not-insignificant task of finishing off a trilogy for Marvel before he truly gets down to rebooting the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.
That trilogy, of course, is The Guardians of the Galaxy, and the final installment of Gunn's work - Vol. 3 - is just a few months away from release. That means not just navigating his beloved characters to their destination - their final destination, in some of their cases - but also taking the time to introduce new characters to help guide Marvel into their Gunn-less future. Following a post-credits scene in Thor: The Dark World, fans have been waiting for the inevitable arrival of Adam Warlock into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the MCU, Warlock is created by Ayesha, Sovereign leader and High Priestess of a genetically engineered alien race known as Sovereign, to destroy the Guardians.
Why Was Will Poulter Chosen as Adam Warlock?
Gunn, however, feels there's slightly more to the character than just being there to kill without feeling; although Warlock wouldn't exactly be considered an ally upon his first encounter with the Guardians, as Gunn explained to Empire Magazine. Given the nature of this, that's why Gunn felt the casting of Adam was so important, and why he ultimately opted for Will Poulter, the British actor who has been acting since childhood in both comedic and dramatic roles, to take on that responsibility.
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 Adam Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby. People online were saying ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock’. I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted somebody 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.
Gunn had previously revealed that Adam is a more traditional superhero, although he did admit that "hero might be pushing it." Adam’s advanced superpowers make him a formidable foe, and his clashes with the Guardians would certainly present "an interesting juxtaposition with where we've been so far."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Sean Gunn and will be released worldwide in cinemas on May 5, 2023. Check out the trailer for the movie down below.