Will Poulter: who is actor set to play Adam Warlock in MCU Guardians of the Galaxy 3 - career and net worth

The English actor previously starred in The Chronicles of Narnia and Midsommar
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Marvel fans have been eagerly anticipating the introduction of Adam Warlock to the Disney movie franchise, and that wait is finally over.

Adam Warlock, one of the most important characters in the MCU, was created by the legendary Marvel duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

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The Thor and Fantastic Four opponent, created by Ayesha to destroy the Guardians of the Galaxy, will be played by English actor Will Poulter.

Here’s everything we know about Will Poulter, his role in the sequel and what GOTG director James Gunn had to say about him.

Who is Will Poulter?

28-year-old Poulter was born in 1993, in Hammersmith, London.

He and his two siblings, Jo and Ed, were raised by former nurse Caroline and distinguished physician and Professor of Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at Imperial College London, Neil Poulter.

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He attended Harrodian School, whose well-known acting graduates include George MacKay, Robert Pattinson and Jack Whitehall, but struggled academically due to dyslexia and developmental coordination disorder.

Poulter, aged 17, at the premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia (Picture: Getty Images)Poulter, aged 17, at the premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia (Picture: Getty Images)
Poulter, aged 17, at the premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia (Picture: Getty Images)

He described the learning difficulties to The Independent in 2013 as , "the most demoralising thing, as a kid,” adding: “It felt like it didn’t matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t getting anywhere.”

His first film credit came in Son of Rambow (2007), though his most prominent role from his early career was in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2009), in which he played Eustace Scrubb, the annoying and psh cousin of the Pevensie children.

Poulter described acting as a release, following the issues he faced academically,  “to find something like drama, which I loved so much…it gave me a sense of purpose."

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In 2012, Poulter began an undergraduate degree in drama at the University of Bristol, however dropped out after a year to focus on acting full time.

Poulter is also an avid fan of Arsenal Football Club.

As of 2021, Poulter is said to be worth approximately $5 million (£3.67 million).

What else he starred in previously?

Fans of Poulter will also recognise him from 2013 comedy We’re the Millers, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis.

He famously kissed Aniston and Emma Roberts in the film, which won them a Teen Choice Award. Poulter also won an MTV ‘Breakthrough Performance’ award and British Academy Filming Award for his role.

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He went on to star in The Maze Runner (2014) and its sequel, Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018).

Poulter also featured in Detroit (2017) alongside John Boyega, and in 2019 horror, Midsommar.

His most recent work included the yet-to-be-released British thriller, The Score, starring alongside Johnny Flynn, Will Poulter, Naomi Ackie and Lydia Wilson.

Who is his MCU character, Adam Warlock?

On 12 October, it was announced that Poulter would join Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff and others as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

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Director of the sequel, James Gunn, announced the news himself, writing on Twitter: "As you guys know I often strike down false rumors, so… um…Welcome to the Guardians family, Will Poulter. He’s an amazing actor and wonderful guy. See you in a couple weeks.”

He is thought to have been cast as Adam Warlock over Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page and Ophelia’s George MacKay.

His character features in the original comics, as a ‘perfect creation’ but soon turns against his creators to become one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe when he tapped into nearly limitless energy.

Poulter joins a star-studded Guardians of the Galaxy cast (Picture: Marvel/Disney)Poulter joins a star-studded Guardians of the Galaxy cast (Picture: Marvel/Disney)
Poulter joins a star-studded Guardians of the Galaxy cast (Picture: Marvel/Disney)

Adam Warlock was considered as a character in GOTG2, but Gunn decided against the idea as there were already so many characters unfolding in the 2017 movie.

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Instead, Gunn held back on introducing the character to the sequel and chose only to tease him in a post-credit scene of the second movie, when Ayesha creates an  artificial being called ‘Adam’.

He is created as the perfect sovereign - one of a highly advanced, genetically engineered galactic race who live on the collective of planets of the same name. His purpose it to destroy the Guardians of the Galaxy.

When is Guardians of the Galaxy 3 released?

While Gunn could be teasing the beginning of filming for the upcoming movie with his “a couple of weeks” tweet, the movie is not expected to drop for another 20 months.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released on May 5, 2023.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and 2 are currently available to stream with a subscription on Disney+ for £7.99 / month.

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