It's fair to say Will Poulter was an unexpected choice to play Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but based on the actor's performances in recent projects and his physical transformation, Marvel Studios and James Gunn made the right choice. Talking to The Playlist, the actor reflected on his journey to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how aware he was of the character.
"I first auditioned in June of last year [2021], and that was the first time I auditioned, and then I kind of got the role in September, I think," he recalls. "And then started shooting in December. I didn’t know what character, initially, I was auditioning for. I kind of knew sort of closer to the time [of casting] who I was reading for. Although I wasn’t familiar with Adam Warlock beforehand, I was very familiar with ‘Guardians,’ and it was kind of my favourite ‘planet’ within the Marvel Universe."
"I’m just a huge fan of the tone and the creativity and James Gunn’s work and so many of the actors, you know, that I now get to call colleagues, which I’m very grateful for." Poulter went on to say that bulking up was "part and parcel of the preparations," and praised Marvel Studios for getting him to that point. Adam Warlock is, after all, a God-like being, so a lot of time in the gym was a given.
Adam has a storied history in the Marvel Universe, and while it's too late to get him involved with the Infinity Stones and Thanos, there are plenty of directions the character can head in from here.
As for what that future might look like, Poulter responded, "I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what’s in store for me. I’m waiting to find out, and that’s the honest truth, but, needless to say, I’d love to sort of go on a journey with that character." He's doing well with that Marvel Studios secrecy!
In the comic books, the hero is a synthetic being created by human scientists named "The Enclave" to become their ideal template for a new race of humans who would rule the Earth. However, their creation, called "Him," rebelled, turned against them, and went on to become Adam Warlock.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2023.