"He’s like really useless": Marvel fans clash over Adam Warlock’s MCU portrayal

When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some adaptations of characters are a hit with fans, while others are a miss. However, some characters fall right in the middle, with many being divisive about how they were adapted. One of those characters just happens to be the Golden God of Marvel, Adam Warlock.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Adam Warlock is portrayed by actor Will Poulter, and was first introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - the final film in the trilogy. He was portrayed as a man-child who possesses great power - but is nowhere near as powerful as he is shown to be in the comics.

Given that the reception over the portrayal of the iconic Marvel character was divisive when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 came out, a discussion between fans began once again recently. In a recent Reddit post, fans once again came to discuss what they thought of the portrayal of the character - with many loving his portrayal and others not entirely onboard with it.

Is there a reason why they made Adam Warlock an absolute joke in the MCU? byu/Queasy_Commercial152 inMCUTheories

"He’s like really useless, and not even that serious, and tbh kinda dumb. Just wanna know did they really have to nerf him they badly? For what reason?" said one fan on Reddit.

"GOTG3 felt like bit of a missed opportunity for Warlock to me — you had Halfworld, the High Evolutionary and Adam in the same movie; important elements in Jim Starlin's first arc for Adam as a messianic figure; and then it's never woven together," said another fan in the thread.

"I say that as someone who really likes Gunn’s work, but he really does like to turn characters into jokes. Just look at Drax and Star Lord," said another fan.

However, some other fans did appreciate how the film was able to put a spin on his character and even noted how similar Poulter's portrayal was to the character's introduction in Marvel comics.

"Because different kinds of movies favour different styles of adaptations. It's the right take on Adam Warlock for that specific film," said one fan.

"When he was just born in the comics it was almost a decade before he became the Adam Warlock people are familiar with. He was just a being called Him in the beginning," argued another fan.

"He's just been born, he's basically an overgrown baby. I'm not sure if they'll bring him back, but I'd love to see more of him maturing and becoming closer to his comic character," said another fan.

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Exploring Adam Warlock's storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Adam Warlock was first teased in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and then made his first full appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, played by Will Poulter. He is the son of Ayesha, the Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign, and she is asked by the High Evolutionary to get Adam out of his cocoon earlier than anticipated.

This is so that Adam could retrieve Rocket for the High Evolutionary from the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, throughout the film, Adam starts having a change of heart after he sees how the actions of the High Evolutionary ultimately cause the death of his mother. He then decides to work with them and even joins the team at the end of the film.

Fans can check out Adam Warlock in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as it is streaming on Disney+ right now.