Guardians Of The Galaxy 3’s Villain Risks Repeating A Big Eternals Mistake

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to finally introduce Adam Warlock into the MCU, but this risks repeating the same mistake that Eternals made with Black Knight. Warlock was first teased in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s mid-credits scene when Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) – after suffering the loss of an entire Sovereign fleet at the hands of the Guardians – announces that she is making an all-powerful being who is capable of destroying Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and the other Guardians. Approached by one of her chambermaids, Ayesha then states that she will call her creation Adam, teeing up Warlock’s eventual MCU appearance.

A perfect being created by a group of scientists, Marvel’s Adam Warlock is a huge presence in the comics canon and has been an integral part of popular storylines, including The Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War. Comparatively, Black Knight – teased at the end of Eternals – does not have quite as rich a history in comic books but nonetheless looks set to play a significant role in the MCU’s Phase Four and Five. After the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame, the roster of heroes within the MCU is undoubtedly being shaken up as a new Avengers team begins to take form.

With each Phase 4 movie to date working to establish key new players for the future of the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can look to Eternals as a lesson in how not to introduce a character. The film handled Black Knight’s introduction poorly by side-lining Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington) and relegating his Ebony Blade reveal to one of Eternals’ post-credits scenes. As a result, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cannot afford to do the same with its villain Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). As one of the comics’ most powerful and influential characters, Warlock’s franchise impact cannot be taken for granted by the MCU.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Has A Lot Of Story To Balance

The Guardians post-Endgame are a very different team from the original 2014 film. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) joined Quill, Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, while Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) also joined the galactic superhero group at various stages during the MCU’s Infinity Saga. As a result, with new dynamics to navigate and character arcs to conclude, Guardians 3 has a lot of stories to fit into its narrative.

Perhaps the most notable plot that the film will need to address is the whereabouts of Gamora following Endgame. After Thanos (Josh Brolin) sacrificed his adopted daughter to gain the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) returned to the MCU after Endgame’s time heist allowed a past version of the character to enter the present. However, this Gamora is unacquainted with the Guardians, has no recollection of her relationship with Quill, and has newly turned from Thanos’ leadership. She was notably absent from the Guardians’ final appearance in Endgame, prompting many theories about where Gamora may have gone after Thanos’ defeat.

Returning director James Gunn has clarified that he is most excited to wrap up Rocket’s character arc in the upcoming sequel – posing another large narrative thread that the film will have to navigate. Rocket has undergone huge character development across the first two Guardians films – finding a sense of family before quickly losing it – and Gunn’s excitement suggests that Rocket’s origin story will play a large part in the team’s final outing. With two of the lead members of the Guardians requiring in-depth storylines, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 runs the risk of shifting its character introductions firmly into the background.

Adam Warlock Cannot Play A Supporting Role In GOTG Vol. 3

The prospect of Adam Warlock’s arrival in the MCU is a long-awaited introduction, but the film’s already crammed narrative cannot afford to position the character solely in a supporting role. Warlock’s powers and abilities are seemingly endless, encompassing super speed and strength, flight, and cellular regeneration to make him one of the most powerful beings that Marvel has ever created. Therefore, it is important that his introduction honors this power and provides his story with adequate screen time.

As an all-powerful being, seeing Warlock positioned only as a supporting character would subsequently appear out of place. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s story must focus on its leadership team members and their respective character arcs, but this does not mean that it should do so at the expense of Warlock’s much-needed growth and development. If handled correctly, the film could establish an important presence in the future of the MCU and avoid the introductory mistakes that the franchise has made in the past.

Eternals Wasted Black Knight & GOTG Vol 3 Can’t Repeat It

Dane Whitman’s reveal as Black Knight is a prominent example of how the franchise has unsuccessfully introduced a character in the past. Eternals had the notably difficult task of introducing a huge number of heroes in the space of a single movie, and while some of these will return in later projects, Black Knight’s MCU future is the one that will suffer the most, given his poor use in the film. Unlike the other members of the Eternals, Whitman remained in the background for most of the narrative as Cerci’s human love interest. Aside from a throwaway line in the film’s final act about Whitman’s heritage, Eternals’ mid-credits teaser felt forced, given the character’s minute role in the film that came before it.

It is one thing to do this with a character like Black Knight, but Guardians 3 cannot make the same mistake with its handling of Warlock. Credits scenes can be effectively used to set up future endeavors for the characters involved, but these set-ups rely on the main body of the film supporting their reveal. Adam Warlock has already been teased in such a scene, and, as a result, it is the job of Guardians 3 to follow through on this promise and not falter as Eternals did when handling the character.

Adam Warlock Could Be Crucial To The Multiverse

This handling of Warlock is even more important when considered alongside just how crucial the character could be to the MCU’s Multiverse narrative. In Marvel comics, Warlock has demonstrated his ability to eliminate timelines and put an end to huge concepts and ideologies in the process –  best exemplified by his elimination of the Universal Church of Truth. With the MCU entering this same Multiverse territory, a character with such an ability could yet be a key player in a role like Loki’s Time Variance Authority in helping to restore peace across infinite timelines.

The full extent of Adam Warlock’s role in the future of the MCU remains to be seen, but if his comic book counterpart is anything to go by, he has the potential to play a major part in the franchise. Yet this massive potential also leaves his introductory film in a tough position. While it is important to give the Guardians the screen time they deserve in what may well be their swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cannot afford to make the same mistake that Eternals did and sideline an important character.