MCU's Best Use For Adam Warlock Now Is As Guardians 3's Villain

Adam Warlock is one of the most crucial characters within the pages of the original Infinity Gauntlet storyline, but his absence in Avengers: Infinity War means that his best usage in the MCU now is as a villain for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the comics, Adam Warlock is a genetically perfect human being created by wayward scientists on Earth, but after rebelling against his master's and seeking the guidance of the High Evolutionary, he takes on the name "Warlock" and begins using the Soul Gem to protect the universe from threats such as the savage Man-Beast as well as the Universal Church of Truth. Even though he hasn't made a full appearance on-screen just yet, Adam was teased at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as being created by the alien species known as the Sovereign.

Even though James Gunn has been relatively quiet on plot details for the third film, he is still actively at work on it and plans to shoot the film after the final cut of The Suicide Squad has been locked. Even after Gunn was fired, it seemed as if Disney's plan was to shoot the film using his version of the script, to maintain continuity between the sequels. With that in mind, it seems like Gunn has always been working to a very specific conclusion for his vision of the Guardians, one that hopefully won't be changed or altered because of his firing and rehiring or the coronavirus pandemic.

After being teased at the end of the second film, fans were left wondering just how Adam Warlock would make his MCU debut. But as more time passes, it seems like the most likely opportunity right now is for them to use him as the main antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Adam Warlock was originally introduced as "Him" back in the 1960s, before his experiences with the High Evolutionary and his battles with Man-Beast gave him his officially recognized name. His early adventures involved the usage of the Soul Gem, tying him to the Infinity Stones, and even featured him teaming up with characters like Gamora to fight off Thanos multiple times. However, Adam Warlock's most iconic moment comes at the height of The Infinity Gauntlet storyline, with him bursting forth out of the Soul Gem to steal the gauntlet from the Mad Titan and bring an official end to the conflict. In the story's aftermath, Warlock was tasked with separating the gems among six different characters including himself, the six of whom became the Infinity Watch, a group responsible for keeping the Infinity Stones safe and separated.

Adam Warlock and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Pod

It's evident that the MCU won't ever get to recreate this stunning turn of events on-screen, as the Infinity Saga just recently came to a close with none other than Iron Man being the one to deliver the final snap. That being said, the MCU still has every opportunity to introduce Adam Warlock, as he's a powerful hero and interesting character in his own right. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could introduce him as Adam, a confused and immensely powerful being who escapes from his Sovereign captors and runs into the Guardians who decide to help him. On top of that, the movie could also introduce the Magus as a central antagonist, a shadowy yet powerful villain who, in the comics, is eventually revealed to be an evil version of Adam from the future.

If Gunn decides to use the Magus persona, he could get away with making Adam Warlock a villain, which was teased at the end of the second film, while at the same time preserving the possibility of him being used as a hero in the MCU's future. In recent years, Adam has made frequent appearances in some of Marvel's big cosmic crossovers, usually teaming up with the Guardians or the Mad Titan himself. As it stands, Adam Warlock's lack of presence in Avengers: Infinity War doesn't mean he can't still be a compelling character, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the perfect time to showcase that.

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