by James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, addressed Adam Warlock‘s inclusion in the film and why he felt compelled to do so.
Warlock is “definitely not a good guy,” according to director James Gunn, who also emphasised that the character “does not understand life very well.“
This notion was amply established during the marketing for Guardians 3 when one of the movie’s clips showed a confrontation between Warlock and the team.
Will Poulter, who plays Adam Warlock, added that the character “[came] out of the oven early and isn’t fully baked,” suggesting a complicated persona for the MCU rookie.
A Look at Adam Warlock’s MCU Debut by James Gunn
Director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 James Gunn discussed Adam Warlock’s introduction in the threequel, which was hinted at in the sequel’s post-credits scene.
Without hesitation, Gunn mentioned the inclusion of Warlock when asked what challenge the film’s story presented. He added that “it was really difficult:”
io9: “Now, this movie obviously comes in with lots of tackle. You have the Rocket’s origin, like you said, the whole Gamora thing we talked about, Drax’s family, which has always been kind of a question there, and then these new characters. So, what aspect of the story was the hardest to organically get into the mix of this movie?”
Gunn: “Well there’s no doubt, it was Adam Warlock. Like, it was really difficult… I promised Adam at the end of the other movie. The High evolutionary has created Adam’s species. That was the way in.”
Gunn then outlined the many plot points of the film, including the appearance of the High Evolutionary and its connection to Warlock:
“But it was definitely– everything else was… High Evolutionary is directly related to Rocket. All of, you know, War Pig, and the Recorders Vim, and Theel, they’re directly related. So, it was the thing that was the most kind of separate that we put back into it. Except that we had also teed up Ayesha in the second movie, so we had all of that. But it was definitely the more difficult part to make a part of it.”
When asked if he felt pressure to properly showcase Warlock in Guardians 3, Gunn confirmed that he did, noting that the character was supposed to appear in Vol. 2 to act as the “opposing force:“
io9: “Because I know fans have been asking you for years, even before Guardians 2, when you get the tease, like, ‘What’s going on with Adam Warlock?’ Did you feel pressure to put him in and like how close to what the final product is is what you had in your head?”
Gunn: “I think I did feel pressure to put him in this… A lot of the stuff was written for Vol. 2. Originally, Adam Warlock was in Vol. 2 and he was sort of the opposing force… I seem to always have a second force, right? So there’s like, in the first movie Yondu serves that position. He’s an alternate force. And in the second movie, Ayesha serves that position.”
Last but not least, the head of DC Studios said that Warlock and Ayesha play the roles of the “alternate force” in the film, admitting that they “seemed to fit better” in those positions in Vol. 3: Uprising.
“In this movie, it’s Adam and Ayesha together. So, I always had the character in mind from that movie and then he seemed to fit better in this movie than he did in that movie.”
What Will Adam Warlock of the MCU Do Next?
Any MCU filmmaker faces a challenging task when introducing a new character—especially a significant one from Marvel Comics. That being said, it makes sense that James Gunn felt under pressure when tasked with presenting Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Despite having little on-screen time, Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock has an evident impact on the movie. Vol. 3 was able to demonstrate the character’s heart and development after he first appeared as a potent threat to the Guardians, ultimately earning him a seat in Rocket’s new team.
When it came to presenting Warlock, Gunn undoubtedly succeeded on all counts while also reminding viewers that the character’s backstory is still untold.
How Warlock fits into the MCU’s future remains to be seen. Given that the character is a beloved part of Rocket’s crew, there is a good possibility that his subsequent appearance will be with them.
Poulter yet maintained optimism that the superhero would eventually appear with the Avengers. Due to the possibility that the Multiverse may be in peril in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, this may eventually occur.
In theatres all across the world, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently showing.
