Behind the scenes, being a superhero isn’t always so glamorous, according to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) star Will Poulter.
James Gunn’s third and final Guardians of the Galaxy installment finally arrived in theaters on May 5 to rave reviews from fans and critics, many of whom call it Gunn’s “Swan Song” of a goodbye to the MCU.
Most of the original cast reprised their roles for the new film, including Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula, Sean Gunn, who plays Kraglin, and Bradley Cooper, who voices Rocket Raccoon, among others.
But even though the film has received overwhelmingly high praise, some have taken issue with the portrayal of one character: Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter.
Adam Warlock’s arrival in the MCU and the Guardians franchise, specifically, has been a long time coming. But some fans of the character’s comic book portrayal felt let down by his onscreen debut in Vol. 3, which admittedly felt disjointed against the Guardians’ broader story arc.
Instead of being the mighty warrior from the comics, this version of Adam Warlock “[came] out of the oven early and isn’t fully baked,” a fully intentional choice allegedly made by Gunn. Poulter defended this “twist” character portrayal in a recent interview with GQ Magazine, where he addressed Adam Warlock’s infant-like mannerisms in the threequel, saying:
It’s clear that James was putting a certain twist on Warlock. In this movie, he’s in his infancy. He’s come out of the oven early and isn’t fully baked. He’s trying to orient himself in a world where there’s a lot of pressure to work out the difference between right and wrong.
.@PoulterWill talks about his role as Adam Warlock in #GotGVol3 and making peace with Internet strangers debating his appearance https://t.co/Fyq7Ne9NoV
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) May 9, 2023
The actor went on to explain that playing Gunn’s take on the character was a “really fun place to explore,” connecting back to what he loved about the previous Guardians movies:
That was a really fun place to explore because there was the opportunity for drama and comedy in that. Warlock’s character typifies what I love personally about ‘Guardians,’ which is that these characters are funny, but they all feel psychologically genuine.
There’s undoubtedly room for Adam Warlock to grow and evolve as a character in future MCU projects, and his future in the franchise looks optimistic, as teased in the post-credits scenes for Vol. 3.
And if anyone has the credentials to take on such a role, it’s probably Poulter, who’s acted in a range of different genres from his breakout role in the Narnia franchise to his more recent appearance in Ari Aster’s horror masterpiece, Midsommar (2019). His versatility as an actor will only help him to further flesh out the character of Adam Warlock down the line as he begins to evolve and discover new sides of himself.
But even though Poulter may have had a good experience working alongside Gunn and the Guardians crew, his Marvel experience wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
Speaking with GQ Hype, Poulter opened up about his insecurities prepping for his Marvel gig, confessing that people’s remarks about his physical appearance could’ve taken a toll on his mental health had he not been “comfortable” and “secure” with his looks:
I am very comfortable and secure in the knowledge that I’m not conventionally attractive as I’ve always had remarks about looking unusual. I think it just speaks to a wider issue, of: why are we discussing or spending so much time discussing people’s physical appearance?
Poulter’s remarks come on the heels of his “glow up” (by Marvel standards, at least) for Vol. 3, which required him to gain weight and tone his body to fully embody the “superhero look.” Unfortunately, this created a whole wave of obsession over his dramatic body transformation, which trended online leading up to Vol. 3‘s release.
In the same interview, the actor told the publication that he worked as hard as he could to bulk up for the part, stressing that he did so in a way that was “safe” and “natural” for him:
All I know is I worked as hard as I could, safely and naturally, to conceivably pass as a superhero. I can’t be an advocate for mental health and simultaneously be promoting anything other than responsible and natural bodybuilding. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like I’m suggesting there is a body type that is better than anybody else’s body type.
He also admitted that people’s comments about his beefed-up appearance feel like “backhand compliments” and that the “before and after” photos posted of his body online seem to deliver a rude message about societal standards of fitness:
People don’t even realize it. Someone in the pub two days ago said, ‘Oh, you’ve had a glow up. Congrats.’ It’s a little bit hard to not accept that as, ‘You were ugly for the best part of your life, and now things are looking up a bit!’ I don’t know if that’s just me being cynical, but it’s hard to not take it as a backhanded compliment. People say it like it’s positive, but it could also contribute to a complex.
Poulter has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness after starring in 2021’s Dopesick. In the past, he’s spoken openly about his personal experience with mental health, which he struggled with during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, it’s no surprise that Poulter made it a point to put his mental wellbeing first when he began training for Vol. 3.
Poulter’s recent comments are an important reminder that no one should ever judge or criticize a person’s physical appearance and that, ultimately, actors are only human and experience insecurities of their own. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the MCU, has also spoken about suffering body insecurity while filming scenes for his—oftentimes shirtless—character.
Thankfully, Poulter made it clear that Marvel “certainly never put any pressure” on him to gain muscle for the part and that it was ultimately beneficial to how he looks at himself.
Did you like Will Poulter’s portrayal of Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Share your thoughts in the comments below.