Summary

  • Star-Lord's near-death experience in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led to Adam Warlock saving him and solidifying his role as a hero in the MCU.
  • The film introduced new characters like the High Evolutionary, Phyla, and Adam Warlock, expanding the Guardians of the Galaxy universe.
  • Adam Warlock's origin story in the MCU differs from the comics, with his redemption and decision to save Star-Lord defining his true birth as a hero.

Star-Lord almost met his demise at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but him being saved created one memorable moment for Adam Warlock's MCU debut. Released on May 5, 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marked director James Gunn's final project with Marvel Studios, bringing the story of the original Guardians team to an end as part of the MCU's Phase 5. Prior to the film's release, theories arose suggesting one or more of the Guardians would die during their seventh MCU appearance, but although a major death was teased, every member of the original team thankfully survived the dramatic battle with the High Evolutionary.

Featuring the returns of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel, the Guardians of the Galaxy banded together for one last adventure in Vol. 3, embarking on a mission to safe Rocket's life. Despite marking the end of the team's story, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also set up exciting new characters. These included Chukwudi Iwuji's villainous High Evolutionary, Kai Zen's powerful Phyla, and Will Poulter's highly-anticipated Adam Warlock. Although Adam Warlock's MCU origin story was vastly different from his Marvel Comics roots, his debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has a much deeper meaning than many had imagined.

Star-Lord's Death Recreated A Famous Painting

Star-Lord and Adam Warlock in Guardians 3

For the majority of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Adam Warlock was depicted as a minor villain for the Guardians team. The product of the Sovereign, who in turn had been created by the High Evolutionary, Adam was tasked with hunting down and retrieving Rocket to deliver to the High Evolutionary. This led to the attack in Knowhere which first endangered Rocket's life, and an ambush on Counter-Earth, though this came to an abrupt end once the High Evolutionary destroyed the planet. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did a strong job of exploring Adam's redemption story, however, transforming him into a hero by the end of the film.

When Star-Lord was close to freezing to death in space, Adam Warlock arrived to save the Guardian of the Galaxy, proving his value to the other of the team, and completing his origin story as a hero in the MCU. This scene saw Chris Pratt and Will Poulter recreate "The Creation of Adam", a world-renowned fresco painting by Michelangelo which depicts God giving life to Adam, the first man in the Book of Genesis. The recreation of this painting, while being a hilarious ice-breaker at a very intense moment in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, carried a deeper meaning for Adam Warlock.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Gave Adam Warlock A New Origin

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene

Even though Adam Warlock was genetically engineered in a pod by Ayesha, the High Priestess of the Sovereign, and woken up early by the High Evolutionary to complete his mission, this wasn't his actual origin in the MCU. Adam's villainy was misguided, not a true reflection of who he actually is. Instead, Adam Warlock was truly born once he chose to stop fighting the Guardians and save Star-Lord's life, giving new meaning to the idea of "The Creation of Adam". The post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showed Adam Warlock as an official member of the team, meaning he is finally embracing his heroism in the MCU.