Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Images Put the Spotlight on Adam Warlock & the Titular Team

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finds Star-Lord and the team doing battle with the all-powerful Adam Warlock.

Several new images have now been released offering another look at the return of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the upcoming MCU sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Released courtesy of Empire Magazine, these latest images line up the titular team for what’s expected to be the final time, as the Guardians of the Galaxy stand together to protect one of their own and once again save the universe. Check out the new images from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below.

As well as offering another look at the core team, including Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Empire also gives us a brand-new look at one of the movie’s antagonists, Adam Warlock.

Played by The Maze Runner and Detroit star Will Poulter, Marvel fans have been waiting years for the all-powerful Adam Warlock to make his MCU debut. “James and I discussed the idea of playing him, at least in this initial phase, in his infancy,” Poulter revealed regarding the character’s introduction. “As a young person entering the world, trying to develop his moral compass. There was a lot of comedy in that, but also some genuine pathos, some dramatic meat on the bone.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Will Land in Theaters Next Month

Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 picks up with the gang, and particularly Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, still reeling from the loss of Gamora. Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Thus, Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own once again and, if the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, and Sylvester Stallone, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is likely to be one of the most emotional installments in the MCU, bringing this iteration of the titular team to an end and putting the focus on Rocket Raccoon’s tragic backstory.

“The most important thing for me was Rocket’s story, and then, following that, everybody else,” James Gunn explained. “Rocket is the secret protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy and has always been the centre of it for me; and this is really fulfilling that. The reason I came back, and decided to do this movie, was because I really felt like Rocket’s story needed to be told – and it was left hanging after Vol 2. So that’s the most important thing.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 5, 2023, as part of Phase Five of the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Runtime Is One of the MCU’s Longest

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 has a lot to unpack as the last movie in James Gunn’s trilogy, and its epic reported runtime shows it.

When it comes to Marvel movies, sometimes longer isn’t always better, but that hasn’t seemingly deterred Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 from reportedly having one of the longest runtimes of the Marvel franchise. According to a new report from The Direct, James Gunn’s MCU swansong will come in at a whopping 2 hours and 29 minutes, which is twelve minutes longer than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and ties it as the fourth longest movie of the MCU alongside Avengers: Infinity War.

Of course we all know how much was packed into the Avengers movie, which suggests that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 has a lot of story to tell, but could it tell it in a shorter runtime or is the lengthy offering going to be wall to wall entertainment?

The main thing to remember about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is that it is seemingly the culmination of the many storylines going on within the group of superheroes, many of which will not be returning after this movie. That means there are a lot of loose ends to be tied, especially when considering the events of both Avengers: Endgame and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are to be factored in, along with the long awaited arrival of Adam Warlock, the High Evolutionary, the history of Rocket…it takes almost half an hour just to talk about what will feature in the movie, so perhaps the runtime is more than justified.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 Will Be An Emotional Ending For the Franchise

While a new iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy will likely continue on in the MCU, James Gunn has said on multiple occasions that this is the end of the trilogy he originally intended making and that means there are going to be some tough goodbyes coming in the threequel. While Dave Bautista has made no secret that this is his last time playing Drax, for many of the other characters there is a question mark over whether they will live to fight another day or go out in a blaze of glory.

While every Marvel movie has its secrets to keep, Gunn previously said that fans shouldn’t worry too much about internet spoilers, but he did warn that there will be some things that can be found on the internet that some may not want to read about beforehand. However, he ultimately said:

“I don’t think your enjoyment of the film will be diminished much by knowing them.”

From the moment a movie is given its premiere, and when first reviews begin to roll in, it is hard to completely avoid spoilers unless you are one of the first to see the film on its general release. This is one of the reasons that Marvel Cinematic Universe movies tend to blast their way to a spectacular opening weekend box office and then immediately take a nose-dive the following week. Although the prospect of any big Marvel release making its way onto Disney+ within a couple of months has certainly seen more people willing to wait to see new movies rather than venturing to the cinema, there is no reason to suggest that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 will deliver another big box office opening for the franchise.

Will Poulter Addresses What Marvel Holds Next For Adam Warlock

Poulter will make his MCU debut in GOTG Vol. 3 and says he does entertain the possibility of having Warlock continue his journey in the franchise.

Will-Poulter-as-Adam-Warlock-Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-3-fan-art

In some sense, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 concludes the series that James Gunn started within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The director has confirmed that the film will be the last to see the team united, meaning the Guardians’ future will see some changes down the line in any future installments. However, there is one character that fans probably won’t prefer departing from the franchise. Adam Warlock will appear in GOTG Vol. 3, making his debut in live-action format after being teased in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

After a long search for actors, Gunn and Marvel Studios signed actor Will Poulter (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Midsommar) to portray Warlock. The actor is said to undergo a significant transformation to play the character. It might be the last of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team, but it hardly could be the end for Warlock, who makes his first appearance in the franchise. In a recent interview with Collider, Poulter was asked how he sees his character continuing in the MCU. Poulter replied,

Sure. Yeah, you do have to entertain that possibility. The truth is, I don’t actually know what the future holds for me regarding the character.

Poulter was also asked if taking on the role impacted his other projects, given Marvel’s deals are mostly long-spanned. Poulter said a considerable commitment is required, and he is indeed grateful for the opportunity.

Certainly, it comes with a certain level of commitment that requires consideration, but obviously, I’m very grateful to have been given the role.

Marvel Studios keeps the details of its plans entirely secret from the cast, going to the lengths of not sharing entire scripts with them. Even if Marvel Studios have plans for him, Poulter, who wasn’t aware of his role till after the audition, won’t know any details of how and when he will appear next in the MCU after GOTG VOl. 3. Poulter did not give any information regarding the number of projects he signed in to appear within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Earlier, he has denied knowing anything about Marvel’s plans for him in any future installment yet.

Given that Marvel recently brought back Anson Mount as Black Bolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s clear that it always comes up with some plans for its characters. And since Warlock is highly important in the comics’ lore, he will likely be back.

Marvel Studios’ Future Plans Make Room For Warlock

Adam Warlock has been both an adversary and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics. The character was hinted to become an antagonist in GOTG Vol. 2. In that film, after the Sovereign is defeated at the hands of the Guardians, Ayesha reveals her plans to give birth to a cosmic being, raised in a cocoon-like structure, who shall take on the heroes and exact revenge. In that monologue, she names him Adam.

It’s possible that the Guardians will have a face-off with Warlock in the film and might later unite to cater to a bigger threat. That could lead Warlock to make new alliances in the future. Marvel Studios have further dropped bread crumbs for several storylines within the MCU that could feature Warlock.

Eternals introduced Pip the Troll, who has been an active associate of Warlock in the comics. Warlock has also allied with Gamora, wherein he played an essential role in Marvel Comics’ Infinity Gauntlet series. Theories speculated that Warlock should appear in Avengers: Endgame, given the character had a significant part in the war against Thanos’ quest to assemble all Infinity gems. Moreover, Marvel Studios is also stretching the boundaries of cosmos to include new cosmic entities via films like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. Speculation suggests that Nova is also in development at Marvel Studios, opening more possibilities for Adam Warlock’s future appearances.