Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn promises that Adam Warlock is not quite one of the good guys in the movie.

Gunn confirmed to Empire that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's take on the iconic cosmic-powered character, as portrayed by Will Poulter, will carry some nuance. In that sense, he is neither the villain nor hero fans might have been expecting. "It's kind of more complicated than that," he said. “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."

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Adam Warlock was first glimpsed behind the scenes of the action in 1967's Fantastic Four #66 by creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Initially only referred to as "Him," Adam Warlock was created to be the peak of human evolution by a secretive group of scientists known as the Enclave. In his earliest comic appearances, the character was handily defeated by Thor before retreating into the literal cocoon from which he would later emerge as under his more-famous name. In the years since, Warlock has been one of Marvel's greatest heroes and villains, not to mention a near unstoppable force in the comics. Moreover, he played an integral role in Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet, with his absence in the MCU's take on the epic storyline creating a stark contrast.

Adam Warlock's Role in the MCU

Warlock was first referenced in the MCU during an end credits sequence of 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which saw him being created and named Adam by the golden-skinned High Priestess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). With Adam having emerged from his cocoon in the sequel's post-credits teaser, it seems that he will represent a wild card in Vol. 3, which will see the titular team battling the famous Marvel villain the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Regarding Poulter's casting as Adam Warlock, Gunn said, "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."

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Poulter has also touched on the subject of Warlock's future in the MCU. When asked whether he will reprise the role for projects following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he replied, "I really hope so, dude. You know, I don't honestly know what the plan is, I mean that is, hand on heart, you know the truth." Yet, if Gunn's comment about Warlock's future is any indication, then Poulter's position is destined for further prominence in the MCU. That being said, Gunn is imminently leaving Marvel to fulfill his duties as DC Studios co-head, so things could change.

While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks Poulter's (full) MCU debut, some fans wonder if the film will be susceptible to the conventional threequel curse. Gunn is well aware of the phenomenon -- in which the third film in a franchise tends to be a dud -- and claims that Vol. 3 will join the handful of exceptions to the unofficial rule. "The amount of good third episodes in a trilogy, I can count them on one hand," he explained. "Basically, there's the Before Sunrise series. Lord of the Rings. Maybe Spider-Man. But there's just not too many good third ones."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.

Source: Empire