‘Guardians 3’ director James Gunn addresses whether film will be Adam Warlock debut

We’ve known for a while now that actor Will Poulter will appear in James Gunn’s forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Adam Warlock.

However, since the film won’t be hitting theaters until a year from now, the question remains as to whether that will be the character’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That may sound like a silly question on the surface, but let’s remember, the MCU is famous for introducing characters through little stunts known as end-credits teasers — or in brief cameos in other movies — before making their full-blown appearance as the main character in a future movie.

Who can forget waiting patiently in the movie theater — back in 2008 — looking for validation of the then-rumor that there was an extra scene after the credits rolled at the end of Iron Man? To our delight, we discovered that Snakes on a Plane actor Samuel L. Jackson showed up as none other than the legendary Nick Fury, telling Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, “I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.” Could Adam Warlock make an appearance in a similar type of scene sometime between now and May 5, 2023, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally hits theaters?

The answer, apparently, is a resounding no, according to writer-director Gunn.

When a fan asked Gunn on Twitter, “will Adam Warlock make his first MCU appearance in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?” Gunn left a short-but-sweet response: “Yes.”

So sit back and enjoy Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder, and other Marvel titles without worrying about looking out for Mr. “perfect Sovereign,” Adam Warlock, whom we last saw ensconced in a golden sarcophagus at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the final film in the franchise with this particular configuration of heroes — plus Poulter’s Adam Warlock — comes to theaters May 5, 2023.