Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 has found its Adam Warlock. Will Poulter will play the classic Marvel character in the upcoming Marvel Studios sequel.
James Gunn is penning and helming the project, which has a release date of May 3, 2023, and is gearing up for production. Guardians of the Galaxy mainstays Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and Karen Gillan are returning. According to sources, a number of actors have been in contention for the role since at least late August, with Bridgerton breakout Rege Jean Page considering it and 1917‘s George MacKay on the shortlist.
Filmmaker James Gunn took Twitter to confirm the rumors after news of the casting broke by Deadline. He tweeted, “As you guys know I often strike down false rumors, so… um… Welcome to the Guardians family, Will Poulter. He’s an amazing actor and wonderful guy. See you in a couple weeks. #AdamWarlock #GotGVol3.”
A post-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 teased Warlock’s addition to the MCU. Warlock’s origins date back to 1967’s Fantastic Four Nos. 66 and 67, with Jack Kirby and Stan Lee creating the character. The two-part storyline centered on evil scientists using cloning and genetic modification to create the perfect human being, with the character referred to only as Him. Writer and artist Jim Starlin revived the character in 1975.
Later, he brought the character to new levels of popularity by using him in his 1990s Infinity Gauntlet trilogy and putting him into books such as Warlock and the Infinity Watch, where he served as a wise defender of reality itself. However, Poulter is best known for his work in The Revenant, Detroit, and The Maze Runner, and can be seen in the upcoming Hulu drama Dopesick, which is slated to release on 13. He is repped by WME.
The filmmaker had previously confirmed that the film will take place within the main canon of the MCU and will set up some of the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3. Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 is expected to kick off shooting next month and will be out in May 2023. The Holiday Special movie will premiere on Disney Plus and in theatres simultaneously.