Highlights
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a game changer for the MCU, garnering almost $850 million at the box office and being considered the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Infinity War.
- Adam Warlock's live-action portrayal in the movie was a disappointment, as his significance was underwhelming and his character was forgettable.
- Despite his wasted potential in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Adam Warlock can still be redeemed and evolve into a more mature and formidable character in future MCU movies or TV shows.
It was a poor start to the MCU with sub-par ratings and poor box-office performance from movies and shows like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania and Secret Invasion, but James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a game changer. Garnering almost $850 Million at the box office, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is even considered as the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Infinity Wars by some. James Gunn did an amazing job by making the once-obscure comic book intergalactic superhero team into a box-office success.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was an emotional and satirical rollercoaster but unfortunately, marked the end of the trilogy with the team going on their separate paths. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also debuted Adam Warlock who in the early trailers, was shown to be one of the major adversaries for the Guardians. However, he came as a disappointment to many in the actual film.
Who Is Adam Warlock?
Adam Warlock, in the comic books, was a genetically engineered being designed for the sole purpose of being the perfect creature. While Adam Warlock had a short appearance in the comics, his impact was more than substantial, ranking among the most powerful entities in the universe, even matching the powers of Thanos and Thor. Adam Warlock even wore the Infinity Gauntlet on one occasion while fighting Thanos. However, one of his most notable powers was being able to resurrect himself after wrapping himself in a cocoon. Adam Warlock's comic book counterpart is shown as a heroic figure, however his live-action potrayal was a bit more complex.
Played by Will Poulter, Adam Warlock was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as a creation of the sovereign who was then utilized by the film’s main antagonist, the High Evolutionary. In the movie, Adam Warlock was awakened early in an immature state to retrieve Rocket who was later revealed to be another experiment of the High Evolutionary. This live-action interpretation of Adam Warlock takes on a more naive and immature persona, often injecting humor into his character rather than projecting an intimidating presence.
Adam Warlock's Potential Was Wasted In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
What could have been one of the best MCU characters in recent times and had the potential to be more than his comic counterpart was wasted. Adam Warlock's character was the most forgettable part of the whole film as his significance was a bit underwhelming. It is still confusing why Adam Warlock was even in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the initial trailers of the film, Adam Warlock looked to be super promising but quickly all the hype turned to dust.
Assigned as a hitman to retrieve Rocket, Adam Warlock failed such a simple task, which was understandable considering he was awoken in an incomplete state. From there, Adam Warlock didn't play any part except saving Star-Lord from the sub-zero temperature of space which only added an emotional effect and didn't actually play a role in the plot.
Adam Warlock's debut in the MCU was also a little too late, considering his character's history with the Infinity Gauntlet in the comics. Moreover, the character had missing features from his comic counterparts out of which, the biggest one was the soul stone. Given that all the soul stones on the current Earth-616 in the MCU are destroyed, it's unfortunate to see that Adam Warlock would never live up to his true potential.
Adam Warlock Can Still Be Redeemed
Adam Warlock being a villain or a hero was uncertain at the beginning of the movie. Although, Adam Warlock did manage to redeem his character when he rescued Star-Lord after he almost froze to death in space. After joining the rest of the crew on Knowhere, it became increasingly clear that the character was on a redemption arc. Despite his initially naive nature, Adam Warlock was shown with a good nature which could imply his future in the MCU as a hero.
Given that the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity Stone storylines are long gone, Adam Warlock's narrative will need to take a different direction. In future MCU movies or TV shows, Adam Warlock could potentially evolve into a more mature and formidable character, considering the character even makes an appearance hereafter. The MCU already has a lot of characters to explore, Adam Warlock could be an exception.
This Isn't The First Time The MCU Has Wasted One Of Its Major Villains
The MCU failing its characters comes as no surprise, although the problem has only arisen in Phase 5. Thor: Love and Thunder was supposed to be one of the major movies in Phase 5 considering him being the veteran Avenger. Despite the high expectations and anticipation, Thor: Love and Thunder fell incredibly short, mainly due to its comedic tone. However, the silver lining of the film was undeniably Gorr the God Butcher. Christian Bale, as always, delivered an outstanding performance with Gorr which to date is considered as one of the most menacing villains in the MCU.
However, Gorr was always meant for a single appearance and died at the end of the movie leaving behind his legacy in the form of this daughter for future MCU movies. In light of the underwhelming response to Thor: Love and Thunder, many fans believed that Gorr deserved more screen time and a place in future MCU movies. With the MCU already focusing on Kang the Conqueror, who also ended up short of living up to expectations, there seemed to be limited space for Gorr in the grander scheme of things.
Unlike Gorr, Adam Warlock still has the opportunity to be redeemed in the form of a solo movie aside from Guardians of the Galaxy but whether the MCU gives him another chance or not, remains to be seen.