Adam Warlock is Not in Avengers 4, Russo Brothers Confirm

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Infinity War

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Avengers 4 won't introduce Adam Warlock, directors Anthony and Joe Russo confirm. With Avengers: Infinity War already out, the conversation surrounding the MCU is already starting to shift to what happens next given Avengers 3's cliffhanger ending. As fans now start to concoct their own theories with what goes down in next year's still-untitled ensemble flick, the three-time Marvel filmmakers reiterate that Warlock won't be swooping in to save the day for the heroes.

James Gunn has repeatedly debunked speculations that Warlock will make his grand MCU debut via the twin Avengers sequels since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's mid-credit scene teased his arrival. But, that didn't stop fans from including the cosmic being in their theories, especially since he's a key player in the film's source narrative: Infinity Gauntlet. Now, the Russos are doubling down on Gunn's earlier comments, reiterating that Warlock won't be in next year's Avengers film either, thus saving his introduction for Phase 4 or later.

Speaking with ComicBook on the heels of Infinity War's success, Anthony and Joe Russo discussed what might be next for Earth's Mightiest Heroes after they've failed in safeguarding humanity for the first time since they first assembled six years ago. It's expected that Avengers 4 will have the original core team trying to rectify the predicament that Thanos' left them with, and they would have to do it mostly by themselves. Captain Marvel will be there to help out, but Adam Warlock won't, unfortunately.

"Yeah [Adam Warlock]'s not showing up in our stories. Look, our job as we said a million times is to tell the story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not to do direct adaptations of the comics because we're comic book fans. I have no interest as a director in telling a story that's already been told or in seeing one that's already been told. If I know all the events story as they're going to happen then what's the point of going to the film? We want to keep surprising audiences and continue the story that started with Iron Man [...] a decade ago."

While Adam Warlock won't be making an entrance in Avengers 4, that doesn't mean that utilizing him didn't cross the writers - Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus - minds. The duo previously revealed that they considered introducing Warlock in the the ongoing narrative revolving Thanos, but they ultimately decided against it because it would be a disservice to the character and the story to just shoehorn him in. In hindsight, it makes sense considering his arrival, and possibly becoming the key to ultimately defeating the Mad Titan, will take away from the long-time heroes making the major play for what could be their last outings in the MCU.

That said, Warlock will still be joining the MCU soon, and it looks as though as Gunn has a specific plan for him given that he's expected to make his onscreen debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After that, with a slew of cosmic-based projects for Phase 4, Warlock will be presumably become a franchise mainstay and will be one of the premiere heroes of the film series after its current top-tier characters are no longer around.