We Just Got Our First Look at Will Poulter's MCU Transformation Into Adam Warlock

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First Look at Will Poulter as MCU's Adam WarlockKarwai Tang - Getty Images

The first trailer for James Gunn's closing chapter in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy has just dropped, giving fans a glimpse at how their favourite spacefaring misfits' story will end. Of course, all MCU trailers need to be taken with a pinch of salt as misdirection is the name of the game, but it looks like Star-Lord will finally reach some resolution in his relationship with the alternate timeline version of his soulmate Gamora, while Rocket's backstory will also be explored in greater depth.

Perhaps most exciting to comic book readers, though, is the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the trailer of Will Poulter as golden super-being Adam Warlock.

Adam's debut in the MCU was first teased way back in 2017, in a mid-credits scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Enraged by her defeat at the hands of the Guardians, the golden priestess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) swore revenge, and set about creating an entity capable of crushing her enemies. "I think I shall call him Adam," she said, sowing the seeds for one of Marvel Comics' most powerful superheroes to finally make his on-screen entrance.

While he is clearly being set up as an antagonist to our heroes, in the comics Adam is actually a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, using his powers of sorcery to help people, meaning it's likely that by the end of Guardians Vol. 3 his allegiances will have changed, leaving the door open for Poulter to return in future movies.

adam warlock, will poulter, guardians of the galaxy volume 3
Marvel Studios

Previously known for his performances in Black Mirror and Midsommar, Poulter recently underwent a dramatic body transformation to play the "perfect" and "beautiful" Adam Warlock, an arduous process which he opened up about earlier this year.

"The most important thing is that your mental and physical health has to be number one, and the aesthetic goals have to be secondary," he said. "Otherwise, you end up promoting something that is unhealthy and unrealistic if you don’t have the financial backing of a studio paying for your meals and training. I’m in a very privileged position in that respect, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone do what I did to get ready for that job."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released on May 5, 2023.

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