Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Who is Adam Warlock?

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer introduced us to a new character: Adam Warlock – but who is he, and who’s playing him in the MCU?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been one of the most anticipated films of the MCU, and now fans have something new to be excited about.

The trailer for the film was finally released as a part of Marvel/Disney’s CCXP panel in Brazil last night, which showed a lot of what was going to happen in James Gunn’s latest – and likely final – stint in the MCU.

But not only did the trailer reveal the stakes of the film, but it also showed a new character, Adam Warlock, who has been waiting to join the MCU for years. Who is he, and who plays him?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 introduces Adam Warlock

After years of teasing throughout the MCU, Adam Warlock was finally, fully shown in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer.

The trailer is emotional, focusing on the relationships between the Guardians as they fly off into the Galaxy “one last time.” So with this, Warlock isn’t shown much, just for a few seconds, but it’s plenty enough to get excited about.

Adam Warlock will be played by Will Poulter, who we can see throwing punches in some sort of arena, seemingly against Nebula (Karen Gillan), and we can note his character’s signature golden hair on full display. Though Warlock has clearly gone through some changes for the MCU, both in his look and his story. Let us explain…

Who is Adam Warlock?

Will Poulter has only been cast in the MCU for just over a year, but Adam Warlock has been a long time coming for the studio.

Warlock debuted in the silver age of comics, first appearing in an issue of Fantastic Four in 1967. Created by Stan Lee, he has seen multiple interpretations over the years in different comic book issues.

The character is a form of cosmic superhuman, having been artificially created by the villainous scientist group the Enclave, in order to be the next evolution of humanity. He set out on his own path, however, and became a hero of the universe, fighting multiple enemies including his evil counterpart, Magus.

It’s actually quite odd that Adam Warlock hasn’t appeared beforehand, as he was very much involved in the Infinity Stone saga in the comics. He often fought off threats like Thanos, and was frequently the bearer of the Soul Stone. He was also the leader of the Infinity Watch, as well as a Guardian of the Galaxy, where he specialized as the group’s sorcerer and occult expert.

Warlock was even teased in a post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which led fans to believe that he would show up to fight Thanos, but no such luck.

Where have you seen Will Poulter before?

Poulter has yet to reach full movie stardom, but that doesn’t mean you won’t know him. In fact, he may seem rather familiar.

Poulter has played numerous roles in different genres. He played Gally in the YA dystopia The Maze Runner, Mark in cult horror Midsommar, and Colin in Black Mirror episode “Bandersnatch.”

You may also recognise him from the comedy We’re the Millers, which has led his character Kenny to become a meme of sorts.

The actor has been fully immersed in training for the role of Adam Warlock, and has been very vocal about it, so fans should be excited to see his transformation.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will premiere in theaters on May 5, 2023. Find out more information about the film here.